City of Austin

For Immediate Release – November 17, 2011

AUSTIN-With the turning of a purple water valve, Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros turned on the new reclaimed water system at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) and marked another milestone for the utility's Reclaimed Water Program. The new system will supply reclaimed water for ABIA's irrigation system. Purple pipe is used in all reclaimed water systems to differentiate it from the potable water system.

Reclaimed water is created by reusing highly treated wastewater effluent that is normally discharged to the Colorado River. Austin Water uses reclaimed water for non-drinking purposes, such as irrigation, cooling, toilet flushing, and manufacturing.

"The expansion of the Reclaimed Water Program to ABIA is an example of Austin's commitment to efficient and responsible management of our water resources," said Mayor Lee Leffingwell. "It's just one of many innovative ways we are looking ahead to address our current water needs and to make sure Austin has enough water for generations to come."

"Using reclaimed water further strengthens the airport's commitment to the environment and to preserving a precious resource for Austin," said Jim Smith, Executive Director, City of Austin Aviation Dept. "By using reclaimed water, the airport will save 25 million gallons of drinking water annually. Additionally, reclaimed water is costs less. Simultaneously reducing our operating costs and our environmental impact fits our strategy for a sustainable future."

Austin Water's Reclamation Program has worked since 1974 to build a comprehensive reclamation program. In the last year, Austin used 1.45 billion gallons of reclaimed water- equivalent to the amount of water used by 6,600 homes.

Future plans call for more than tripling that amount to 5.5 billion gallons annually-freeing up potable water supplies to serve the equivalent of more than 25,000 homes. The University of Texas at Austin is currently completing the connections to the reclaimed system and is scheduled to being using reclaimed water in their cooling towers by next summer.

"We are excited about the future of the Reclaimed Water System, said Greg Meszaros, Director of the Austin Water Utility. "In these challenging times-both economic and climatic, it's this kind of innovation that will keep Austin a sustainable place to live."