Proactive and Reactive Strategies of Water Planning
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Proactive and Reactive Strategies of Water Planning

As published in the Lake Travis View, May 2023 Water is a precious resource, especially in Texas with the state’s ever-growing population and fluctuating climate conditions. Even when the floods come, there is a drought right around the corner, requiring a constant need to manage and conserve water resources effectively. Water conservation plans and drought…

Many Choices for Drought-tolerant Lawns
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Many Choices for Drought-tolerant Lawns

As published in the Lake Travis View, March 2023. Let’s break the cycle: mow, weed, fertilize…and water, water, water. Exotic turf grasses, such as Bermuda, Zoysia, or St. Augustine require a lot of maintenance and unfortunately, makeup the majority of lawns across Texas. They are the biggest reason why experts say 50 to 70 percent…

Set It, But Don’t Forget It: Sprinkler System Checkup
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Set It, But Don’t Forget It: Sprinkler System Checkup

As published in the Lake Travis View, April 2021. Yes, your grass is green, but watering too much at the wrong time in the wrong way is not only wasteful, but also harmful to your lawn…and budget. Green grass with less water is possible with regular checkups for your in-ground automatic irrigation system. Strapped for…

Planned, unplanned construction events require coordination
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Planned, unplanned construction events require coordination

As published in the Lake Travis View, January 2023. It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, yet causes real concern: why, so often, do we drive by a construction site and see a bunch of workers standing around, peering down into a hole? Shouldn’t they be working? Actually, more often than not, they…

Water use tips cannot be repeated enough
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Water use tips cannot be repeated enough

As published in the Lake Travis View, June 2020. “Pay attention!” Hearing something once is never enough. We are exposed to repetition throughout our lives as a way to help us learn new skills and information. Messages are frequently repeated, sometimes with increasing urgency, to make a message stick and hopefully lead others into action….

Drought provides opportunity for effecting behavior change
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Drought provides opportunity for effecting behavior change

As published in the Lake Travis View, September 2022 Behavior is shaped by perspective. It is not inherently right or wrong; it’s just an expression of beliefs and understanding acquired through knowledge and experiences. But even in our increasingly polarized society, people can change their behavior if faced with an alternate viewpoint that, over time,…

Drought Management is in Effect (and Has Been)
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Drought Management is in Effect (and Has Been)

As published in the Lake Travis View, May 2022. Many of you will remember living through the drought that started in 2011. Texas experienced the driest year on record as well as its second hottest, according to the National Weather Service, with only 14.8 inches of rain and Austin reporting over 90 days that climbed…

As Lawn Watering Slows Down, Wastewater Charges are Calculated
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As Lawn Watering Slows Down, Wastewater Charges are Calculated

As published in the Lake Travis View, November 2022. Your water utility charges you for the clean water they supply to your home through the use of a water meter, but it requires a bit more creativity to determine how much to charge for the treatment of water flowing out of your home since wastewater…

When Natural Disasters Strike, Be Prepared
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When Natural Disasters Strike, Be Prepared

As published in the Lake Travis View, February 2021. For the first time in history, the entire state of Texas was recently placed under a record-setting Winter Storm Warning when a frigid arctic blast gripped much of the U.S. Across the state, thousands of residents suffered hardships due to loss of power, water pressure, and…

Beneficial reuse prevents wastewater discharge, promotes conservation
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Beneficial reuse prevents wastewater discharge, promotes conservation

As published in the Lake Travis View, August 2021 There’s been a lot of talk lately about the algae blooms around the Austin area. As a water provider that uses the Highland Lakes as our only source for raw water, we know that while most algae are harmless, some contain cyanotoxin that can be harmful…

‘Hard’ water good for you, not your home
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‘Hard’ water good for you, not your home

As published in the Lake Travis View, October 2021. Let’s talk about the water cycle for a second: when rain falls, it gathers in bodies of water such as lakes and aquifers. The types of rocks found in these bodies of water begin to slowly enrich the water with dissolved minerals. The greater the amount…

Water Matters: Aug-Nov 2021 edition
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Water Matters: Aug-Nov 2021 edition

[icon name=”file-pdf-o” unprefixed_class=”red”] Printable Version   National Water Quality Month (August) is dedicated to making the most of the relatively small amount of fresh water we have, because having clean water is vital to our individual health, our collective agricultural needs, and the needs of our environment. When Natural Disasters Strike, Be Prepared For the…