Lakeway’s Iconic Water Tower

It was in the fall of 1987 that Lakeway Municipal Utility District (LMUD) completed the water tower that is situated at the entrance to Lakeway. The tower’s installation was a necessity at the time, bringing much needed additional water pressure to the area, but painting it as a teed-up golf ball was an idea conceived after residents expressed their concern for the attractiveness of the tower. The tower was hand-painted by a crew of men, suspended by ropes, connected to pickup trucks 487 feet below them. Little did we know then how iconic that tower would become for Lakeway.

The golf ball water tower, which is visible from almost any place in Lakeway, is a well-recognized symbol for the area, welcoming visitors and recognizing the community for its friendly, resort vibe centered around its pristine golf courses. Its installation and maintenance have always been under the control of the area’s water provider, LMUD.

In recognition of this anniversary, LMUD recently underwent a branding update to further recognize itself as the area’s water provider. Residents will now begin seeing white trucks with the golf ball water tower in bright blue with the red letters “LMUD” written across it.

“Maybe it’s because of our office is conveniently location off Lohman’s Crossing, just down the street from City Hall, but many people call us or stop by with questions about their electricity or to drop off their solid waste bill payment. We will gladly direct these residents to the proper provider, but it is not us. Our sole responsibility to our community is managing water, wastewater, and reuse services. As such, the golf ball water tower has always been a part of our logo, but we have updated it to further differentiate ourselves from other service providers in the area,” said Earl Foster, general manager.

The new logo was developed with the aid of Stokes Sign Company, a Lakeway business since 1994. The incorporation of red, white, and blue in the overall look for LMUD is designed to be eye-catching and patriotic, symbolizing their commitment to the community.

The City of Lakeway does not provide any water services, allowing city governing bodies to focus on other civic issues such as police protection, orderly development, streets, parks, etc. LMUD was established in 1972 by the second Lakeway developer, Bob Alpert to service water to sections 18 through 28, leaving out the first 17 sections, now known as “Old Lakeway,” since they were already on a septic system. Over the years, LMUD has made enormous strides in permitting and building state-of-the-art water, wastewater, and re-use systems under the management of a highly efficient administration. LMUD has received a number of awards for drinking water quality from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Palos Verdes Water Recycling Plant won Plant of the Year award from the Water Environment Association of Texas in 2003. In 2009, LMUD won first place for the best tasting water in Texas in the Texas American Water Works contest at the Texas Water Conference, which enabled them to enter the North American contest at the ACE Conference by the American Water Works Association. In that contest, LMUD won second runner up in North America as the Best of the Best Water Taste Test. In March of 2010, the Texas Comptroller bestowed upon LMUD the Gold Leadership Circle award for financial transparency. All of this while maintaining the lowest rates and taxes in this area!

LMUD is a nonprofit organization governed by five elected Board Members who serve four year terms and a paid General Manager, held by Earl Foster since 2010, who reports to the President of the Board. They provide water and wastewater to nearly 10,000 individuals and businesses that are primarily within the boundaries of the City of Lakeway and a portion of The Hills. The golf courses at Yaupon and Live Oak, and the landscaping at the hangar areas of the Airpark, Lakeway Commons Shopping Center, and several community parks, churches and housing communities in the area as well as down the median of Lakeway Boulevard are irrigated with LMUD’s reuse water. LMUD’s use of this recycled water program, created from processed wastewater that has been treated and disinfected to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) standards and produced for non-drinking purposes, is a cost-effective way to conserve water by expanding the area’s supply of non-drinking water and making it available even during times of drought.

LMUD’s evolved brand identity is being rolled out on all LMUD materials, including vehicles, printed materials such as billing statements, and digital platforms such as the website and social media pages.