.png)
City withdraws county water storage plan after pushback
Austin Water has halted plans to explore an aquifer storage and recovery project in Bastrop County, stepping back from the proposal after months of local opposition.
The decision came after Austin Mayor Kirk Watson asked to withdraw an item from last week’s City Council agenda that would have approved a collaboration agreement between Austin Water and Bastrop-area partners.
“The residents in Bastrop won,” Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino said.
Bastrop leaders formally opposed the project in April, and Mayor Pro Tem John Kirkland criticized it publicly at an October Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
“This project does nothing for the Bastrop community except put your water, your property and your future at risk,” Kirkland said. “There is no upside for the people of Bastrop County, none.”
State Rep. Stan Gerdes echoed those concerns during a Nov. 12 Austin City Council meeting, calling the proposal “government overreach” and urging city leaders to reconsider.
“I’m asking you to pause, to listen and to respect the people that I represent,” Gerdes said.
Watson acknowledged the lack of alignment in a message posted to the council’s board, saying the project did not achieve the level of partnership needed to succeed.
“While … Austin Water is not pursuing field testing in Bastrop County, we will continue to work with our neighbors on regional water planning,” Watson wrote.
He added that the city regularly partners with Bastrop County on emergency response, flood mitigation, public safety and infrastructure planning, and that those efforts will continue.
