What Would We Drink if the Lakes were Dry?

A community dialogue about Austin’s water and the creeks, aquifers, plants, animals and people that it touches.

Lauren has been passionate about Austin water issues since she moved to Austin in 1974 to study water resources engineering at the University of Texas. Her science and technical contributions were indispensable to crafting and passing Austin’s landmark Save Our Springs Ordinance referendum on August 8, 1992. Her work helped to close a hazardous waste facility contaminating the drinking water supply of an east Texas African-American community; and allow residents to return safely to the post-Katrina environment of New Orleans. She was a designer of the first privately-permitted composting toilet in Austin, the first Austin-permitted residential graywater system in 25 years, the first pervious pavement system to stack flood management and storm runoff treatment underneath a parking lot, and the first central Texas biofilter for storm runoff.

She lives in the Zilker neighborhood with her partner, a cat, a pound of red wigglers, 3 composting projects, dry sanitation and 2,850 gallons of rain water storage.