Water restrictions in Pflugerville continue despite normal lake levels

Water restrictions continue in Pflugerville

As summer approaches, the Pflugerville City Council met to discuss the future of Lake Pflugerville as residents continue to face strict water restrictions.

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - As summer approaches, the Pflugerville City Council met Tuesday night to discuss the future of Lake Pflugerville as residents continue to face strict water restrictions. 

While recent rainfall has brought Lake Pflugerville back to normal levels, city officials warn the situation remains precarious.

What they're saying:

"We’re at 635.52 feet as of May 10. We’ve managed to keep the lake full," a city official said. "That rain on Sunday made a big impact."

While the recent rainfall helped prevent the city from running out of water, officials are still urging residents to limit usage. The main issue is not the amount of water in the lake, but the capacity of the treatment plant.

"One strong wind, and we’re over the spillway right now," an official said. "Our target elevation is 633 feet to keep us out of stage one restrictions."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lake Pflugerville reopens after water level troubles

Lake Pflugerville has officially reopened for use after a long issue with concerning water levels. 

The city’s aging filtration system is capped at 8 million gallons per day. Operators say that if demand spikes, the strain could break the system’s filters—a costly and time-consuming repair that could put the city back under stage three restrictions. The water system currently relies on a temporary 24-inch bypass pipe. While the rain has helped fill the lake, it has also loosened the blocks holding that temporary pipe in place.

"We have a few hurdles to clear. The 30-inch repair doesn’t have materials onsite yet—those are expected to be delivered May 20," a city official said.

Operators are trying to extend the life of the current filters until a new treatment plant opens this fall. During Tuesday’s work session, the council approved $80,000 in bond investments for overhauls and the design phase of Lake Pflugerville Phase Two. The city also plans to shut down the raw water line for two weeks for critical repairs after Memorial Day.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lake Pflugerville levels look more promising

After nearly two months of stage three water restrictions, the City of Pflugerville says it reached an important milestone on the road to lifting those restrictions.

"My concern is that if we remove the modification, we’ll see a drawdown and have to reinstitute restrictions all over again," a city official said. "It’s better to keep them in place until we get through the shutdown and can reevaluate."

As a result, modified stage one restrictions remain in effect. City leaders say these measures are necessary to ensure there’s enough water during the upcoming post-holiday shutdown. Most recreational activities at Lake Pflugerville are still allowed, but the city manager may close the lake in an emergency. Violators of stage one water restrictions could face fines of up to $1,000.