By Mayor Dave Claunch, Contributing Writer

With the Austin  American-Statesman publishing the names and addresses of the top 10 residential water users in the City of Austin, it’s clear that now is a good time for everyone to get serious about water conservation. Water is our most precious resource, and it’s growing in importance every day. Even with conservation rate structures which charge a higher rate for higher usage, we need to move beyond the economic incentives for conserving water and start talking about the environmental and social implications of water use.

Clearly we need to do more. Many people don’t realize that Water District 10 and the City of West Lake Hills have water conservation policies that mirror the City of Austin’s. Starting Monday, West Lake Hills residents may only use automated sprinkler systems to water their lawns once a week, odd numbered addresses on Saturday mornings and even numbered addresses on Sunday mornings until 10 a.m. 

If you have use a sprinkler that attaches to your hose, then you can water after before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on your designated day. You can spot-water plants with your hose by hand at any time on any day.

Many Water District 10 customers may find these restrictions overly harsh. But one look at Lake Travis or Lake Buchannan which are both at around 45 percent capacity will quickly illustrate the problem. And if that’s not enough, just talk to one of the 97 lucky customers of the Ridgewood Village Water System at the eastern edge of West Lake Hills.

The RVWS was built about 50 years ago by A.D. Stenger, then man who developed that area and it’s beginning to show its age. The water mains are sub-standard and undersized and the pressure and volume are such that the fire department has grave concerns about trying to fight a fire in that area. 

The System pumps water from the Edwards Aquifer but the drought restrictions have severely limited the amount of water that can be pumped, so starting last month, the system began restricting water usage to just 9,000 gallons per month for most households. The situation has become dire as these 97 homes are struggling to operate on such a reduced amount.

But there’s good news on the horizon. The RVWS is proposing a merger with Water District 10 which would provide these folks with a good, reliable source of water. But the bad news is that the water mains have to be replaced and the infrastructure brought up to acceptable standards before District 10 will absorb the system. The residents of that area will most likely bear the cost of those upgrades, an expensive remedy, especially during a recession.

I’m working with all of the parties to try to achieve an optimal outcome. It won’t be easy; there are significant complications that must be resolved. But one thing is clear: something must be done to fix the problem. The Ridgewood Village Water System can’t maintain the status quo. An alternate source of water must be secured. I encourage everyone involved to work toward that end. Water isn’t a luxury – it’s a human necessity.