The meeting will run from 4-7 p.m. at the Bastrop Community Center, 15 American Legion Drive in Bastrop.
“We are working to develop protections and benefits for the Bastrop County community alongside the aquifer storage and recovery project,” Austin Water said in an announcement. “We need to hear from Bastrop County residents to help us develop a plan that works for all.”
What residents should know
The ASR project, approved as part of Austin’s Water Forward Plan, aims to store and draw water at the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer through a facility Austin officials plan to build in northeast Bastrop County, as previously reported by Community Impact.
“We have committed to putting in more than we take out,” said Emily Chancellor, who works in the public information office at Austin Water, during a Bastrop City Council meeting July 8. “At least a 5% deposit will not be withdrawn, and that will help create a buffer zone and protect the health of the aquifer.”
Although Austin Water officials began to explore eight potential locations in 2021, officials cited criteria that led to the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer becoming a prime target for design and construction.
- Hydrogeology
- Water quality
- Proximity to the Austin water system
- Permitting and implementation feasibility
“The three-year study will test water compatibility in a lab, not in the ground,” Austin Water said. “The ASR project will not move forward without first determining the safety of the project.”
Some background
With the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer being the primary source of drinking water for Bastrop, several residents, including council member Cynthia Meyer, have voiced concerns about the ASR project and a lack of transparency from Austin Water in the past.
“Why in our yard? Do it in your own yard,” she said. “This is Bastrop. I couldn’t be more emphatic and more passionate about ‘Go back to Austin and take it out of your aquifer.’”
Although Bastrop City Council members previously expressed hesitation to sign a memorandum of understanding with Austin Water, Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino emphasized how becoming a stakeholder or partner could be a vital step to receive information about the project.
“It would give us the opportunity to receive and have comments,” she said. “Otherwise, our comments will have to go through the [Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District], [Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund] and some of the other partners.”
In late April, Bastrop City Council passed a resolution expressing opposition to the project, as previously reported by Community Impact.
Also of note
Four additional open houses will follow, including those from:
- 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Paige Community Center, 117 Main St., Paige
- 7-7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Bastrop County Annex Community Room, 702 Bull Run Road, Elgin
- 10 a.m.-noon Sept. 13 at the Paige Community Center, 117 Main St., Paige
- 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Smithville Recreation Center, 106 Royston St., Smithville
