Pflugerville water crisis: 5th break found in pipeline; water no longer flowing to lake

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - Water is no longer flowing to Lake Pflugerville. 

The city said it is dealing with severe infrastructure issues and found a fifth break in the pipeline on Tuesday, March 17. That pipeline feeds raw water into the lake.

Construction crews are working to make repairs and the city is continuing its call for a community-wide effort to reduce water use now to avoid further restrictions. 

Pflugerville water crisis

The backstory:

The break in the original raw waterline happened during construction of the 42-inch secondary raw waterline, which, once complete, will help provide additional water flow to the lake, the city said.

Water should begin flowing from the secondary raw waterline by the end of June 2026. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Temporary waterline issued at Lake Pflugerville

Crews have installed a temporary waterline to refill Lake Pflugerville, but emergency water restrictions could remain in place for another two months

Dig deeper:

The City of Pflugerville installed a 24-inch temporary bypass waterline on Tuesday, March 10 and began pumping water from the Colorado River to Lake Pflugerville on Wednesday, March 11. This restored raw water flow to the lake. 

The city said the temporary bypass waterline was installed after a break in the original 30-inch raw waterline, which stopped water flow to the lake. The lake is the city's primary water source, so this break caused the lake to drop significantly. 

Pflugerville water customers still remain under Stage 3 emergency water restrictions. This will remain in place until the lake level reaches a depth of 19 feet, which could take two months. As of March 11, the current lake depth is 16.52 feet.

Pflugerville Stage 3 water restrictions

What you can do:

Stage 3 emergency water restrictions for all city customers began on March 4 at 5 p.m.

This means water use is limited to indoor use only, except for watering foundations, as needed.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pflugerville water emergency

The water crisis in Pflugerville continued Monday. The city has been in Stage 3 water restrictions ever since a water intake pipe broke, which cut the flow into their supply site- Lake Pflugerville. FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski has more.

City of Pflugerville water customers are not allowed to: 

• Irrigate lawns, including automatic or manual sprinkler systems or hand watering with a hose and bucket
• Fill previously empty swimming pools
• Wash cars at residences
• Water home or business building foundations
• Run ornamental fountains unless they contain fish or recirculate water
• Install landscaping or grass that requires irrigation during installation
• Wash sidewalks or driveways

Residential customers can use patio misters, but commercial customers cannot. 

Members are also asked not to wash cars during Stage 3 restrictions. However, if you wish, you may use commercial car washes. 

Lake Pflugerville and its fishing piers are closed to recreational usage, which includes boating, swimming, and fishing. 

The trail and playground remain open.