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Residents, environmental groups urge council to delay Walnut Creek wastewater expansion
Summary
Speakers at the council hearing urged delaying code changes and a billion-dollar-plus expansion at Walnut Creek, arguing conservation and pipe repairs should be prioritized. Council moved consent item 62 (version 2); Councilmember Kathie Duchin was shown abstaining on that consent item.
Austin residents, conservation groups and engineers urged the City Council this week to delay code amendments and what speakers described as the overbuilt expansion of the Walnut Creek wastewater treatment plant, arguing that conservation, repairs to aging pipes and fixes for infiltration and inflow should come first.
Why it matters: The proposed code changes and planning steps (item 62) are designed to support a major capacity expansion at Walnut Creek that speakers and some council members said could cost more than $1 billion. Critics told the council that the city should invest in water conservation and repair leaking mains rather than rush into large capital projects that will ultimately raise utility rates.
What the council did: Item 62 was on the…
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