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Travis County proclaims March 22 as World Water Day, spotlights purple-pipe reuse and East Austin water access
Summary
The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a proclamation recognizing March 22, 2025, as World Water Day and heard staff and commissioners highlight wastewater reuse ("purple pipe"), voter-backed land purchases to protect water supplies, and concerns about uneven access to potable water in East Austin.
Commissioner Margaret Gomez called the Travis County Commissioners Court to order at 9:03 a.m. March 18 and the court unanimously approved a proclamation recognizing March 22, 2025, as World Water Day.
The proclamation and subsequent discussion centered on water conservation, the county's existing wastewater-reuse program (commonly called "purple pipe"), and equity concerns about water access in parts of East Austin.
Kirsten Ivy, environmental project manager for the county's new water quality monitoring program, told the court, "Water is 1 of our most valuable resources essential to our daily lives, environment, and economy." Ivy and Ryan Petter, an environmental specialist senior, described the county program as newly formed and said it aims to support public education and sustainable water-management practices. The proclamation text cited United Nations observances and noted the global statistic that 2,200,000,000 people live without access to safe water.
A county staff member who introduced the proclamation noted Travis County's award from the National Association of Counties for using purple-pipe treated wastewater to supply air conditioning in large county buildings, saying that practice “permanently eliminates demand for 45,000,000 gallons a year of water from our drinking water supply.” The court and staff discussed outreach to large building owners and public agencies — including the State Capitol Complex and the University of Texas — about shifting from potable water for cooling to treated wastewater, a change one speaker said could potentially save "almost a billion gallons a year" if implemented at the state complex.
A county official also pointed to voter-approved bond purchases of undeveloped land as a strategy to protect water sources, saying the county has converted some purchases to parks or held them for conservation. Separately, a commissioner urged the court to address water access disparities in East Austin, saying some residents currently lack reliable access to running water and that historical permitting patterns for landfills and other facilities have contributed to those disparities.
The court approved the World Water Day proclamation by unanimous voice vote after discussion and brief presentations by water program staff.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to sign for on behalf of court members not physically present — approved unanimously. - Approval of the consent agenda (items listed on the record) — approved unanimously. - Proclamation: Recognize March 22, 2025, as World Water Day — approved unanimously. - No action taken on outdoor burning (item 5) and ITS security briefing (item 36); no action recorded for Travis County Housing Finance Corporation and Hill Country Development Corporation items noted as no action on the record.
The court adjourned the Commissioners Court session and moved to convene Travis County affiliate corporations; the clerk recorded the meeting as adjourned at approximately 9:19 a.m.
