UT Austin works on plan to preserve water
AUSTIN, Texas - As Central Texas cities worry about water scarcity increasing across the state, UT Austin is working to preserve water.
Water scarcity across the state
What they're saying:
Commissioner Sid Miller with the Texas Department of Agriculture says expansion across the state is conflicting with the availability of water.
"I wish other universities do the same thing. We've got to get a handle on our water situation because we're out of water in Texas. We still have 1,050 new Texans coming to Texas every day. None of them bring any water with them", says Commissioner Sid Miller, with the Texas Department of Agriculture.
The impact can be felt in several Central Texas cities.
RELATED: Hutto City Council may start saying no to water requests from developers
The city of Hutto recently announced plans to deny water requests from developers.
"Well, all up and down the 35 corridor, which is where Hutto is, we've had expansion there. That's where everybody's moving to this. Samsung and Tesla and all the other plants are putting in their operations. So, it's really taxing our water supply," says Miller.
This month, Liberty Hill residents were placed on phase one water restrictions and Leander residents returned to phase two water restrictions after making upgrades to the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority water treatment plant.
"We've got to do other things like rainwater harvesting. We've got to quit spending so much money on stormwater drainage and capture that water when they build small channel storage. We need to build some lakes", says Miller.
UT Austin's plans to preserve water
The backstory:
UT Austin joined efforts to preserve water in the city of Austin by announcing plans for a water hub on campus, calling it the largest of its kind in the nation.
"This is a 90 600 square foot facility. So, it's a very small footprint, yet it produces a million gallons a day. Every gallon that we have, domestic water that we replace with reclaimed water is another gallon of domestic water that's available for the city and for domestic use," says UT Austin Executive Director of Utilities and Energy Management, Xavier Rivera Marzan.
The water hub is in partnership with H20 Innovation. It is a 30-year agreement. It aims to reduce campus potable water usage by 40% and reduce sewer volume by up to 70%.
"For example, if it's for human consumption, then we would use our domestic water. But if it's for process, for power plants or for cooling towers, then it could be reclaimed water," says Marzan.
"I'm glad they're doing it. I'm fully behind us. Let's go. Let's get to work. I'm ready," says Miller.
What's next:
Operations are expected to start for the university in the fall of 2027.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Tan Radford