[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6462860,"mediaKeyId","5795533-4c26defe4d39ab7aa35bf04e7d0b726d","parentId",5795533,"title","Austin Water reviews 2025 Texas legislative outcomes including proposed $1 billion annual water fund (HJ 7)","audioSeconds",931,"startMs",2021000,"endMs",2952000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5795533-4c26defe4d39ab7aa35bf04e7d0b726d&start=2021&end=2952","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5795533-4c26defe4d39ab7aa35bf04e7d0b726d/thumbnail_2021000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6462860/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Water-reviews-2025-Texas-legislative-outcomes-including-proposed-1-billion-annual-water-fund-HJ-7","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462860-1228f562b8a9405bc37dee66fa85cead/orig.mp4?Expires=1773585074&Signature=ds9HlWzJgR-B~WZLrBg8ZkjGlsEwl8nlewWPPOOW6UAkf-Ah6jZjz3f1tmmC~kZiEOtjf5XcN~~wWN9Mz60r7xga8guOn1Dk6r2IPw-SUU~z0YzFI7gPt4PMZcf7bg-8gTHBjRMQm~46oDMEkXTqtXvf6yZRIaV1irS4BpRkzWBfDEyLYuMr9EwQXhDWMvvTvVQ4F~qoLw9oacQ8YwJfLMbO4RaUpUsH82rlFsIXYPyXrdILqg1Jp7tqFsMupotiPnY2OmSrVD0pusi2AKBKIaOLc9Se5OphhUayx2sVhw9oY7Drn-WBQitOrzTFiIhDjMJORQPcs8FsSTD9Kd~jxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-09-17T00:00:00Z","article","Austin Water briefed the commission on outcomes from the 2025 Texas legislative session and two subsequent special sessions that concluded this summer. Heather Cook, Chief Administrative Officer for Austin Water, reviewed more than a dozen bills and resolutions that staff expect will affect the utility’s finance, planning and operating programs.

Key items summarized by staff:

• House Joint Resolution 7 (HJ 7). Cook said HJ 7 is a constitutional amendment that will require voter approval in November. If approved, the resolution would dedicate $1,000,000,000 annually — once a sales-tax threshold is reached — to the Texas Water Development Board for water infrastructure from 2027 through 2047. The law would not raise the sales-tax rate; half of the annual allocation would be required to go to the state’s water-supply funds. Cook said the governor can suspend the funding in a disaster year and that the language allows restoration when practicable; staff noted the final effect will depend on voter approval and implementation details. (Cook offered to provide the commission with the specific bill language on request.)

• Senate Bill 7. Cook said SB 7 expands the Texas Water Development Board’s role to study and potentially facilitate large-scale water conveyance projects and to study adding wastewater projects to state water planning. The bill also authorizes the state water-supply fund to support certain reuse projects and out-of-state water purchases.

• SB 1261. The bill extends state loan terms (SWIFT loans) in limited circumstances, permitting up to 40-year terms for very large projects (over $750 million), giving utilities another financing option for very large capital projects.

• Flood and infrastructure financing. Cook reviewed SB 1967 (expanding the state flood fund to include certain stormwater capture and reuse projects) and HB 500 (one-time infusions to the Water Development Board and related programs). Cook said Austin Water has a pending application for flood-infrastructure funding.

• Impact-fee bills. Cook summarized several bills that change impact-fee rules, including SB 840 and SB 2477 (related measures that will be reconciled at the Legislature), SB 1883 (which limits how often governing bodies can raise impact fees to every three years and requires a two-thirds council vote for increases), and SB 14 (passed during a special session) requiring jurisdictions to adopt impact-fee credits to incentivize conservation or reuse. Staff said the city’s law department is reviewing implementation details and that the utility has not yet quantified revenue impacts.

• Water loss and drought planning. Cook said new law requires annual third-party validation of water-loss audits for large utilities, followed by a water-loss mitigation plan with 1-, 3- and 5-year goals. Another bill (SB 2662) incorporates the Texas Public Utility Commission into the drought-contingency planning process alongside existing state agencies; Cook said it does not change Austin Water’s current plan but adds PHMSA/PUC involvement and a five-year update cadence.

• Other bills. Cook noted SB 482 (increased penalties for harassment of utility workers during emergencies) and HB 1237 (extends license-renewal grace periods for licensed water/wastewater operators to 180 days and permits operators to continue working while renewal is in process). She also mentioned SB 1967 and other funding measures and emphasized that many bills will require follow-up to define implementation details.

Commission questions and staff responses: Commissioners asked whether the new laws create any negative impacts for Austin Water. Cook said impact-fee limitations are the principal items of concern because they curtail local control over revenue tied to new development; staff are assessing the magnitude of those impacts. Director Raulston (Austin Water director) and Cook also said the $1 billion-per-year proposal is a major positive for statewide water infrastructure funding if voters approve HJ 7, but that the bill’s disaster-suspension language and final details merit further review. For the water-loss validation requirement, staff said current in-house audit staff could not perform the validation under the new law (validation cannot be done by the same staff who perform the original audit), so Austin Water will need third-party validation or to train other staff and obtain required credentials.

Ending: Staff said they will continue to work with the City’s law department and government-relations staff to evaluate impacts, comply with new timelines or reporting requirements, and bring additional briefings as implementation details solidify. Commissioners asked staff to provide bill language and follow-up analyses as available.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Water and Wastewater Commission","oneSentenceSummary","Austin Water staff summarized key water-related outcomes from the 2025 Texas legislative session and two special sessions, including a proposed constitutional amendment (HJ 7) to dedicate $1 billion annually for water infrastructure pending voter approval.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6462865,"Austin Water outlines Go Purple pilot incentives, asks commission to reauthorize $4 million pilot",664,772000,1436000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5795533-4c26defe4d39ab7aa35bf04e7d0b726d&start=772&end=1436","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5795533-4c26defe4d39ab7aa35bf04e7d0b726d/thumbnail_772000.jpg","/articles/6462865/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Water-outlines-Go-Purple-pilot-incentives-asks-commission-to-reauthorize-4-million-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462865-575a82bb24b57d96130bbfc8f3429d3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773585074&Signature=YA0E~Y4EVod12K9Mses-cjyWo9AqkkJ5olxvmUSIpuUY-ky9uHKPOAAqtK3Vob64whPZ22CPyT-J-khFYh0pM02X9GqfAaMTbcvtTPAGdlIo0UglKYqzHwjRgnU~3UoycNk~fRUB-yzxWwOWMPB~Ccir4yAQgsVbDNQQ6SP6I6cOeWR2a-2IFEKbgaGRmv7AdSVRkepIQ9nOR-xoX1-wRCk5wtI31C30LXtja5hudf0e05On3Iqi9w-XDiBqASQTCF8h6SaN7eXFLnxMXIwwAvQJrK3aKGN2qzLjKZIbtMIhaMP~xYja75rjLK2pVnfiDJx~NDMgy7SN~Amlunn3FQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Austin Water staff presented details of the Go Purple pilot incentive program — a strategy within the department’s Water Forward plan to expand nonpotable water reuse in new commercial and multifamily developments — and the commission voted unanimously to reauthorize the pilot for the coming fiscal year with the same budget caps.

Catherine Jesinski, supervising engineer, summarized the program’s purpose and structure: Go Purple was adopted by City Council in March 2024 and combines new code requirements, affordability strategies, and a community benefit charge to accelerate reclaimed water and on-site reuse in large developments. The code requires dual plumbing or on-site treated capture for commercial and multifamily developments with 250,000 square feet or more of gross floor area; the requirements differ depending on whether a property is within 500 feet of an existing reclaimed ‘‘purple pipe’’ main.

Incentives and caps: Austin Water’s slide summary lists the pilot incentives and limits: reclaimed main extension rebates (50% rebate for 250–500 feet of extension capped at $500,000), expedited building-permit review rebates (up to $36,000), reduced or waived reclaimed-water meter impact fees, and staff assistance for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) applications. For voluntary on-site reuse not required by code, incentives can cover up to 100% of voluntary installations, capped at $500,000 per project. Following Council direction, the affordable-housing exemption cap for deeply affordable projects (50% of units at 60–80% AMI) was increased to $1,500,000 this fiscal year.

Program budget and participation: Staff said the pilot’s annual budget will remain $4 million and that no applications were received in the fiscal year just ended; two applications have been received since the program launched. Staff explained that project timing has delayed application activity because site-development permitting and building-permit phases often span 6–18 months. Projects may reserve funds on application; Austin Water issues a reservation letter and gives projects up to three years from reservation to claim rebates, with flexibility to reconcile estimated costs against final installed costs when claims are submitted.

Commission questions and administrative details: Commissioners asked about the timing of rebate reservation and payout, whether cost estimates should be reconciled at installation, how staff will treat planned versus installed reclaimed mains for distance calculations, and the department’s budget/reserve approach if more projects apply than the annual $4 million. Staff said reserved funds can be paid from collected reserves if payouts accelerate and that the program requires annual Council reauthorization.

Commission action: The Commission approved staff’s motion to reauthorize the pilot incentive program for the coming fiscal year at the current funding level and with the existing per-project caps: $500,000 for standard projects and $1,500,000 for qualifying affordable-housing projects.

Ending: Austin Water will include program activity in its quarterly Water Management Strategies report and present the pilot for annual Council reauthorization.","Austin Water briefed the commission on Go Purple — a water reuse program adopted in March 2024 — and commissioners approved staff’s recommendation to reauthorize the FY25–26 pilot incentives (budgeted at $4 million) with per-project caps and expanded support for affordable housing.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6462868,"Austin Water Commission urges council to deny Aqua Texas statewide rate filing affecting ~197 customers",528,238000,766000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5795533-4c26defe4d39ab7aa35bf04e7d0b726d&start=238&end=766","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5795533-4c26defe4d39ab7aa35bf04e7d0b726d/thumbnail_238000.jpg","/articles/6462868/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Water-Commission-urges-council-to-deny-Aqua-Texas-statewide-rate-filing-affecting-197-customers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6462868-9755df45d1065d5cd97f4088c4ec25b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773585074&Signature=fcAqS1LEzlHGgKCNPJqPw-Ac1BDQ2-BM~bEX6dJQVEs8IcxrXLaCi212UN9jm1ZZfKoWea90FjuwevmbufEBPJwvXaWyue3ZT8xwU797rQMl~rqePCDgGOEaFN4rjt4AVALe9lGIGIk3CQsaSCvjG1NXvXEaKN-VNaDOpemquwBSltbaMRV~MzOdEXudpQEMdrWy5~apTzQtZ-xAjxeSl0tg0qd54BNf8dH5rH1sQn2B2xo8liTtOA3vOY498v9YShX-pTvJvn9Xox~NB2Esrr39C5wBDIfRPisz56h8x4eCsvd413lW-z9N1Ivmza3WYpPwevVDXZu2bK3qV0koZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Austin Water Commission voted unanimously at its meeting to support staff’s recommendation that City Council deny a proposed statewide rate increase filed by Aqua Texas Inc. for customers located within Austin’s full-purpose city limits.

The recommendation follows a briefing from Joseph Gonzales, assistant director for financial services at Austin Water, who said Aqua Texas serves about 197 Austin customers and has filed concurrently with the Public Utility Commission seeking a blended, systemwide rate. Gonzales told commissioners the filing seeks recovery for two earlier PUC filings through a surcharge and that, because the company is pursuing a statewide rate, some customers would see very large increases while others would see smaller changes.

Why it matters: If adopted, the company’s requested increases would apply to customers inside Austin city limits even though most Austin customers are served by Austin Water. Gonzales flagged the magnitude of the company’s requested increases for the Southwest region (which includes Rivercrest and Moreland): he said volumetric increases being sought range from roughly 92% at Tier 1 up to about 149% at Tier 3 in that filing. Austin Water recommended denial on three grounds: recovery of prior PUC costs via surcharge, the equity of a systemwide blended rate applied to disparate local systems, and the overall magnitude of proposed increases. Austin Water staff recommended that, if any increases were allowed, they should be phased in rather than implemented all at once.

Process and next steps: Gonzales said City Council has final authority over rate approvals for outside utilities serving customers inside the city’s full-purpose limits. Austin Water will hold a public meeting on the department’s review and recommendations on Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. in the same meeting room; Council will hold the formal public hearing when it takes the matter up. The Austin Water Commission’s affirmative vote signals support for staff’s recommendation that Council deny Aqua Texas’s request.

Commission action: A motion to approve the department’s recommendation was made and seconded and carried unanimously.

Documents and sources: The commission briefing noted Aqua Texas filed at the PUC and that the company is an investor-owned utility subject to statewide PUC oversight. Austin Water staff referenced prior PUC filings included in the company’s recovery request and the department’s analysis showing the filing affects 197 customers within Austin’s full-purpose jurisdiction.

The commission did not adopt a specific alternative rate as part of its action; staff said any phasing or alternative would be part of subsequent Council-level proceedings and hearings.

Ending: Austin Water staff will host the Sept. 29 public meeting for residents and Aqua Texas representatives and will forward the commission’s recommendation and its technical review to City Council for the formal hearing and decision.","At a public meeting, the Austin Water Commission voted unanimously to support staff’s recommendation that City Council deny Aqua Texas Inc.’s statewide rate request for customers inside the city’s full-purpose limits and scheduled a public meeting Sept. 29 for community input.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Austin Water reviews 2025 Texas legislative outcomes including proposed $1 billion annual water fund (HJ 7)

Austin Water outlines Go Purple pilot incentives, asks commission to reauthorize $4 million pilot

Austin Water Commission urges council to deny Aqua Texas statewide rate filing affecting ~197 customers