The City of Austin is planning for the future… and it needs your help. Our city’s water utility, Austin Water, is currently in the process of developing Water Forward, a 100-year plan that will ensure that Austin has a diversified, sustainable, and resilient water future into the next century.

So how can you get involved?
Join Austin Water at one of their Water Forward Summer Series events. The Austin Water team will be out in all 10 Council Districts this summer to share more about Water Forward and listen to you! (Plus, they’ll be giving away free popsicles at every event).

Upcoming Water Forward Summer Series events include:

• Saturday, July 15th from 2:30pm to 4pm at Milwood Branch Library (District 7)
• Monday, July 17th from 6pm to 7:30pm at Spicewood Springs Branch Library (District 6)
• Wednesday, July 19th from 6pm to 7:30pm at Twin Oaks Branch Library (District 9)

You can look through the entire schedule of Summer Series events here>>

Why do we need a plan?
Currently all of our drinking water comes from one source – the Highland Lakes, which are fed by the Colorado River. During our last drought, the lakes dipped to dangerously low levels and according to studies, climate change will likely only lead to more prolonged droughts.

So far, our community has already taken conservation very seriously. As Austin Water reports, water use today is about the same as it was in the late 1990s, despite the fact that Austin is now home to about 300,000 more people. With the Water Forward plan, Austin Water hopes to continue this culture of conservation into the future, while looking for new and innovative water supply sources and conservation measures. More info>>