Water Reuse

What is recycled water?

In Lakeway wastewater is first treated and then used for landscape irrigation. Recycled water is a water supply created from processed wastewater. The water is treated and disinfected to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) standards and produced for non-drinking purposes. We call it reuse.

Under what authority do you recycle water?

We produce recycled water for reuse in facilities permitted by and in accordance with requirements of the TCEQ.

How does reuse benefit the citizens of Lakeway?

Reuse helps the citizens of Lakeway conserve water. Reuse is a cost-effective way to expand the District’s supply of non-drinking water and is available even during times of drought.

Is reuse water safe?

Reuse water is safe. To underscore that point, Lakeway Municipal Utility District meets or exceeds the strict treatment requirements set by the TCEQ.

Is recycled water monitored for quality?

Yes, we continuously monitor the quality of recycled water to ensure public health and safety. No water for reuse leaves the District’s Water Recycling Plant without testing the water quality.

Who is currently reusing water?*

In the U.S., reuse is an ever-growing water resource for many communities. More than 1,900 communities across the country are harnessing this resource. The more active reuse states include Texas, Florida, California and Arizona.

The City of St. Petersburg, Florida, provides reuse for such purposes as backup fire prevention, irrigation of golf courses and landscaping, agriculture, and industrial cooling towers. Manatee County, Florida, provides reuse for similar uses. In Marin County, California, athletic fields employ reuse for turf irrigation.

Many cities in Texas—such as Austin, San Antonio, Las Colinas, Lubbock, Amarillo and Odessa—recycle water for golf courses and landscape irrigation.

The City of Austin practices reuse on golf courses and at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and soon will be providing reuse for the Mueller redevelopment area and at the University of Texas.

Perhaps the most unique example of reuse in Texas is in El Paso, where recycled water is put into the City’s drinking water aquifers for drinkable reuse.

Where do you now practice reuse in Lakeway? Recycled water irrigates the Yaupon and Live Oak golf courses and the Lakeway Boulevard median. Reuse also irrigates the landscaped areas of:

Excess reuse water irrigates cedar tracts southeast of Lakeway Elementary School, and off Stewart Road at 620.

*Source: City of Austin Water and Wastewater Utility