East Travis County residents concerned about water quality
Concerns over water quality in east Travis County
Residents in parts of east Travis County said they are deeply concerned about both the cost and quality of the water that comes out of their faucets.
AUSTIN, Texas - Residents in parts of east Travis County said they are deeply concerned about both the cost and quality of the water that comes out of their faucets.
These neighborhoods, Austin's Colony and Hornsby Bend, are outside the Austin Water jurisdiction. Neighbors are now banding together to push for change.
Concerns about quality of water
Local perspective:
"This is a real problem," said Austin's Colony resident Alex Stedman.
"It costs too much and the quality is bad," said Austin's Colony resident Richard Franklin.
Many say the most obvious problem is discoloration — with a UT Austin survey showing it's an issue for about 70% of residents of these neighborhoods, which have water provided by the company Texas Water Utilities.
"Some people have the yellow one day. Other people have brown one day," said Franklin.
"Well, this morning it came out a dingy gray," said Austin's Colony resident Laura Mullins.
Some say there's often an odor.
Austin's Colony resident Katrina Chapman says it smells like chlorine.
"It smells like wastewater," said Laura Mullins.
Dig deeper:
Test results from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality show levels of 11 different contaminants in the Austin's Colony water system that exceed the Environmental Working Group's health guidelines — though the levels are still below legal limits. That includes arsenic at 275 times the guideline and nitrate and nitrites at 23 times the guideline.
"It's very concerning," said Stedman.
"I'm worried about my grandchildren's health," said Mullins.
In a statement, Texas Water Utilities Vice President of Operations Tim Williford said:
"At Texas Water Utilities, delivering clean water is our business. Austin’s Colony drinking water continues to meet or exceed the water quality standards established by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the only entities authorized to set and enforce quality standards for water utilities in Texas. EWG has no regulatory authority to create or promote drinking water standards. The most recent sampling, conducted in February 2025, indicates all parameters are within the primary drinking water standards."
"They are just within the requirements," said Stedman.
The hardness of the water has also caused issues.
UT researchers found 92% of residents they surveyed reported a buildup of sediment on appliances. A majority also say they've experienced skin problems.
"We've got shower head filters, filters on the main house, all kinds of things to try to mitigate the damage," said Franklin.
Regarding this, Texas Water Utilities said in the same statement, "The hard water conditions experienced by customers in Austin’s Colony are common in Texas and the result of calcium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate and other naturally occurring minerals in groundwater. Magnesium and calcium do not cause harmful health effects and do not impact water safety."
Despite that, many residents have decided to buy gallons of bottled water — and forgo the tap.
"I don't cook with it. I don't drink it. I won't let my kids drink it," said Chapman.
Concerns about water bills
By the numbers:
As residents grapple with these concerns, they say their bills keep going up, sometimes double the cost of Austin Water.
"It jumped up to $171," said Stedman.
"Over $180 a month," said Franklin.
"We're up to $200," said Mullins.
"$200 to $240," said Chapman.
Hutto claims discolored water is safe to drink
Some Hutto residents in the Glenwood neighborhood are concerned about discoloration in their water.
When Texas Water Utilities announced another rate hike last June, residents circulated a petition and filed a case with the Public Utility Commission of Texas to block the increase. Still, the company sent out a letter late last year saying the increase would happen in January, even though a hearing on the case has yet to happen.
"You can't even budget for that," said Mullins.
Katrina Chapman just moved into the neighborhood in December and says she had to dip into savings to keep her water from being shut off.
"That was really hard because now I got three kids. That was my Easter money," said Chapman.
Regarding the cost, Texas Water Utilities said in the same statement, "Occasionally, we need to adjust rates to recover increased operational costs such as labor and supplies, as well as water and wastewater system improvements. The strategic investments reinforce the long-term sustainability of water and wastewater systems and help to ensure continued service with minimal disruptions."
What they're saying:
There was a proposal to bring these neighborhoods into the Austin Water system, but that's essentially been shelved due to cost and feasibility.
In a statement, the Public Utility Commission of Texas said negotiations are ongoing to resolve issues regarding the rate case with Texas Water Utilities.
In its statement, Texas Water Utilities went on to say, "Texas Water Utilities hosted an open house for customers in this service area last year where these topics were addressed and residents were able to engage in one-on-one conversations with members of our team. We remain steadfast in our mission to deliver reliable, high-quality water and wastewater services that Austin’s Colony residents can depend on every day. We are committed to customer service and encourage our customers to contact us directly at 866-654-7992 with any concerns so we can partner with them."
PODER joins effort to improve water conditions
What they're saying:
The local nonprofit, PODER, has joined the effort to improve both the water's cost and quality.
"We've been challenging the private water company and seeing if we can get access to better water, and cheaper rates," said PODER Policy Director Alexia Leclercq. "We're hoping that, with this more consistent testing and regulation, that the quality of the water will actually improve."
They brought UT on board to do additional testing, with results set to be released in the coming weeks.
"Our objective is to understand what are the sources and impacts of these issues," said UT Austin postdoctoral fellow David Pinzon.
"It's obviously something that the majority of the community feels like there's an impact," said UT Austin postdoctoral fellow Helen Siegel.
Residents are hoping that, after years of fighting, something will change.
"It needs to stop. It's not fair," said Chapman.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's John Krinjak