Austin’s aquifer storage project advances after Bastrop-backed bill fails

“House Bill 1523 failed to pass ... but the issues it raised are real and remain unresolved,” Gerdes said. “This bill brought necessary attention to the growing tensions between large-scale water infrastructure projects and the rural communities being told to host them.”

Zooming in

Still in the early stages, the ASR will involve Austin injecting and storing its drinking water in Bastrop’s primary water source, the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, for future use. The effort is part of Austin’s Water Forward plan to address drought and population growth, according to Martin Barbosa, senior public information specialist for Austin Water. Austin Water officials added that it will utilize up to 7,000 acres near Paige, about 200 of which will be above ground.

A deep dive by Community Impact into the ASR can be found here.

What they’re saying

Barbosa said Austin Water has since proposed that discussions with Bastrop stakeholders resume in June.

“We are committed to continuing open communications as we move forward and are confident that, by working together, we can create an ASR project approach that supports all of our communities,” he said.

Carrillo-Trevino acknowledged the outcome was not what Bastrop officials hoped for, but said they will remain involved as the project progresses.

“We are, of course, disappointed in the outcome of the bill,” she said. “We are actively engaged with the city of Austin, affected parties and our legal team to make certain that Bastrop’s interests are well represented and that our voice is clearly heard at the table.”

Looking ahead

Barbosa said testing will continue through at least 2031 to allow time to collect more data and determine the ASR’s feasibility to “design a project that is protective.”

“This gives the community time to assess whether Austin will be a good-faith partner in addressing the concerns that HB 1523 highlighted,” Gerdes said. “If not, and if Austin proves unwilling to work transparently or collaboratively, we are prepared to revisit this legislation in the 2027 session.