Pflugerville water crisis: Crews repair 5th break found in pipeline

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - ***Editorial note: On March 18, at 6:55 p.m., the City of Pflugerville said crews repaired the fifth break in the City’s existing raw waterline, and water flow to Lake Pflugerville has been restored.***

Original story below:

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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.

The city anticipates the repair to be complete and water flowing within 48 hours, barring any unforeseen circumstances. They say these breaks are a result of ongoing construction of the secondary raw waterline, which will provide redundancy and additional flow to the lake from the Colorado River. The existing raw waterline is otherwise serviceable. 

FOX 7 Austin asked the city how much longer Stage 3 water restrictions will be in place.

"Stage 3 emergency water restrictions will last at least until the lake reaches 19 feet in depth and sustains that depth for a minimum of three days. The City reported on March 11, 2026, that this could take at least 60 days, but this timeline is dependent on how much Pflugerville water customers conserve, and assuming there are no further issues with the existing raw waterline. However, with this new break, we will need to reevaluate the timeline once water flow is restored," they said in a statement.

Local perspective:

Pflugerville resident Gary Arbuckle shared his perspective on the situation.

"In our area, because of the soil and the drought that's going on right now, I see a lot of homes right now being affected because of their foundation issues," he said. "[The city] was asking us not to use your dishwasher or your washing machine, so that has been a change, and I'm trying to be compliant, because this is water we have to drink."

He is also concerned about the long-term water supply.

"It's like, how do you get water? And as expensive as things are right now, buying bottled water and things of that nature is a burden," he said.

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. 

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.

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. 

PflugervilleEnvironment