Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Quality topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Travis County to act after years of discolored water in Hornsby Bend
Summary
Residents and organizers told the Commissioners Court that Hornsby Bend households regularly receive discolored water, reported health impacts and out-of-pocket costs for bottled water, and asked the court to distribute potable water immediately while pursuing infrastructure funding and study follow-up.
Residents from Hornsby Bend and organizers with the Texas Anti-Poverty Project told the Travis County Commissioners Court that families are regularly getting discolored, sometimes unsafe tap water and are paying out of pocket for drinkable water. Bianca Guerrero, a Precinct 4 constituent, said the neighborhood now has a peer-reviewed University of Texas study documenting persistent problems and asked the court for an immediate potable-water distribution as a band-aid while officials pursue longer-term infrastructure solutions: “I urgently request potable water distribution since residents are still drinking this and some from the tap.”
Eduardo, a community organizer who surveyed residents, presented survey findings and cost estimates for households forced to buy bottled water, reporting that 78% of 50 respondents said they lacked safe water at home and that affected households spend roughly $90.10 extra monthly for drinkable water. The court accepted copies of the UT study and the survey for dais distribution and noted the issue may require coordination with state and city utilities; the judge said the court cannot take policy action during the public-comment period but asked county staff to circulate the residents’ reports to commissioners for follow-up.
