Residents, environmental groups urge council to delay Walnut Creek wastewater expansion

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 consent agenda as a version 2 staff filing and was adopted as part of the consent package. For the record, Councilmember Kathie Duchin was shown abstaining on item 62. Council discussion referenced the need for more analysis; several members requested more financial detail in related budget discussions.

What speakers said: Bobby Levinsky, an attorney for local environmental groups, said the expansion would increase plant capacity from 75 million gallons per day to 100 million gallons per day and questioned whether current demand justifies the scale. He said delaying expansion could avoid millions in rate increases. "Until the facility hits that 90% figure, that's when you have to start doing construction for it," Levinsky said, arguing city staff could push the schedule to avoid near-term rate shocks.

Bill Bunch, with Save Our Springs Alliance, told council the utility is not prioritizing fixes that reduce the volume of water needing treatment, such as repairing leaky mains and reducing inflow and infiltration — work he said would be less costly and environmentally preferable. "If the water utility was doing its job, especially in the face of 'we're not gonna have the water to treat and generate sewage to even need this expansion,'" he said, "the utility is not gonna do it until y'all tell them to."

Other local speakers, including members of the Sierra Club and neighborhood advocates, raised similar points: prioritize water conservation, target costs more accurately and avoid weakening environmental protections for creeks to speed construction.

What staff said: Watershed and Austin Water staff said technical planning and code amendments are intended to ensure adequate environmental and storm-water protections during and after any expansion, and that the city would return with further details as required by state and local rules.

Next steps: The matter will return in the course of budget and capital planning. Several council members asked staff for more detailed financial and engineering reports before larger contract or construction commitments are finalized.

Sources and speakers: Testimony included presentations from Bobby Levinsky, Bill Bunch, Roy Whaley, and others; Councilmember Kathie Duchin was recorded abstaining on item 62 in the consent approval.