Round Rock Edition | September 2023

From the Cover

A year into drought restrictions, Round Rock plans water resources

Diving in deeper

Two-minute impact

financial model and avid planning prepared the city for drought. Round Rock has high impact fees—costs new developments must pay to connect to the dis- trict’s water supply—but low rates for existing customers, which help new growth pay for infrastructure to expand the city’s water plant and add capacity, Thane said. “The impact fees for all those houses connecting [have put us] at a pretty good spot so that we could pay for infrastructure that adds capacity to our system and not have the people that have been living here for 40 years have to pay for it in the rates,” he said.

Thane credits Round Rock’s drought resiliency to its diversi- fied water sources. The city gets water from both the Brazos River Basin, which consists of Lake Georgetown and Stillhouse Hollow Lake, and the Colorado River Basin, which consists of Lakes Travis and Buchanan. A small portion of the city’s water—about 5 million gal- lons per day—comes from Edwards Aquifer well water. “Many utilities have one source, maybe two sources [of water], but we have multiple options,” Thane said. Thane said Round Rock’s

and Stillhouse Hollow Lake, are similarly low. “Given how long our [rainfall] deficits go back and how significant they are, we’ll continue to see drought impacts through the end of this year, almost guaranteed,” National Weather Service meteorologist Keith White said. “The good news about the El Niño, though, is that it will tilt our odds toward wetter conditions by the time we get into the winter time. So we can hopefully start to make up some of those deficits in December, January and February of next winter.”

Central Texas was hit with a double threat this summer: record-breaking high heat and little rainfall. The region has seen temperatures over 100 degrees nearly every day since July 8, causing increased evaporation of local water reservoirs, dried-out soil and increased wildfire risk. Lakes Travis and Buchanan collectively dipped to 44% capacity in August, the lowest they’ve been since 2013, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority. Other regional water sources, including the Edwards Aquifer, Lake Georgetown

Exceptional drought —or Level D4 drought—is the most intense drought category on the U.S. drought monitor

195

Round Rock water usage The city of Round Rock has ramped up water conservation efforts following the region's last widespread drought in 2011. 2011 2022

and occurs when the region experiences 98% dryness.

183

Williamson County

35

Extreme drought (D3) Exceptional drought (D4)

Travis County

50

42.05

130 TOLL

71

40

Percentage of county in exceptional drought conditions Williamson County

290

30

Hays County

99.5% Travis County 100% Hays County 100%

20

35

10

15.15

N

0

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

Jun.

Jul.

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

SOURCE: U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: CITY OF ROUND ROCK/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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