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(Austin Water)
By Kali Bramble
The city’s water utility is inching toward its goal to store 60,000 acre feet in underground potable water reserves by 2040, according to a briefing delivered to the Austin Water Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
The ambitious 20-year project will be the city’s first foray into aquifer storage and recovery, or ASR, a technology that harnesses aquifers to store water in times of excessive rainfall to be retrieved during shortages. With the compounding stressors of population growth and climate change, staff believe such measures will be integral to weathering the future storms confronting Austin’s water supply.
Austin Water began considering aquifer storage and recovery seriously in the aftermath of the eight-year drought from 2008 to 2016 that left Central Texas’ Highland Lakes system at historic lows. But the use of ASR in Texas has a much longer history, dating back to the 1960s in a group of towns on the High Plains within the Colorado Municipal Water District.
Since then, a number of ASR programs have sprung up in cities like Midland, Kerrville, El Paso and San Antonio where fluctuations in climate and rainfall challenge water reserves. Austin City Council hopped on board in 2020, but severe utility failures in the fallout of Winter Storm Uri brought the importance of infrastructure resilience into even sharper focus.
Aquifer storage and recovery systems function like a water savings account, in which wells pump treated water into underground aquifers, rather than drawing it out. In the event of climate disasters like droughts, floods and freezes, underground channels can draw out this extra supply for emergency distribution.
“An ASR system can store large amounts of water with minimal disturbance to the land above the aquifer,” project manager Helen Gerlach said. “A natural aquifer prevents high evaporative losses, like those we experience with reservoirs in warm climates, and storing water in a natural aquifer is more cost effective than other similarly sized storage options.”
Engineers have spent the past year and a half analyzing potential sites for the project, weighing both the physical suitability and proximity to infrastructure of aquifers in Travis, Bastrop and Lee counties. Currently, sections within the Carrizo-Wilcox, Trinity and Edwards aquifers are all on the table.
Staff members intend to gather community feedback and land a site by the end of 2023, aiming to initiate a pilot program by 2024. Then, the project will enter a lengthy design and construction phase with a target for a fully scaled operation by 2035. By 2040, Austin Water hopes to store 60,000 acre-feet of potable water ready to be discharged in the event of climate disasters. (For perspective, the entire city used around 149,000 acre-feet of water in the year 2019.)
The project’s completion will be a big step for Austin’s Water Forward plan, a strategic framework designed to map out the next 100 years for the city’s growing water demands. In the meantime, readers can learn more about aquifer storage and recovery and submit questions to the project team here.
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Popular
(Gulfstream)
Elon Musk has placed an order for a new, top-of-the-line private jet: a Gulfstream G700, Austonia has learned. Delivery is expected in early 2023.
Billed as offering “the most spacious cabin in history,” the aircraft seats 19 and soars above the rest of us at up to 51,000 feet. Base price: $78 million.
The Gulfstream G700 was awarded the 2022 International Yacht & Aviation Award for excellence in cabin design this year. (Gulfstream)
According to the Gulfstream website, the G700 can fly up to 7,500 nautical miles without refueling, enough range to fly nonstop from Austin to Hong Kong. Powered by two Rolls-Royce engines, it has its own Wi-Fi system, 20 oval windows measuring 28” x 21”, and two lavatories.
The sweet new ride will replace his current top-of-line private jet: a 2015 Gulfstream G650, the aircraft that has been made somewhat famous by the automated @elonjet Twitter account, which tracks and reports his personal aircraft’s movements using public data.
Landed in Austin, Texas, US. Apx. flt. time 44 Mins. pic.twitter.com/jZ7HI0i4iV
— ElonJet (@ElonJet) June 24, 2022
Musk has repeatedly championed “free speech” as a guiding ethic in his planned purchase of Twitter. Last December, Musk offered the teenager who built the @elonjet tracker $50,000 to shut it down, citing security concerns. It’s still up.
According to the @elonjet account, Musk’s jet last traveled to Austin, where it’s been since June 23. The associated data says that his flight to Austin burned $2,573 worth of aviation fuel and discharged 4 tons of carbon dioxide.
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(Valencia Hotel Group)
Live music and beer? Say no more. With a location in Austin, and others throughout Texas, the court hotels by the Valencia Hotel Group have a new offering for weekend stays: Live Music & Longnecks.
Enjoy live music all weekend long and check out the hotels’ state-of-the-art amenities between sets. Make a splash in the pool, enjoy outdoor fire pits, or challenge your friends in a yard game while enjoying a weekend full of live music! Did we mention the package includes deluxe accommodations and a bucket of beer? Oh, and if you needed more convincing, this pet-friendly hotel means the whole family can join in on the fun.
The hotels
Explore any of the Court Hotels by Valencia Hotel Group for a memorable escape. Each property offers a unique experience remnant of yesteryear but with all of the modern amenities that make for a fun and comfortable stay. With acres of landscaped courtyards, relax and unwind in an outdoor environment perfect for doing everything or absolutely nothing at all. With locations in Austin, College Station, Irving, and Lubbock your urban retreat has never been so close.
The music
Locals and travelers alike are invited to enjoy the deep roots of Texas music all summer long with a robust lineup of live performances. From the banks of the San Antonio Riverwalk to Irving’s manicured streets, Valencia’s hotels are a place to gather and reconnect, offering uniquely Texan settings for the weekly performances.
“We’re proud of the community we’ve fostered among Texas musicians and the many rising stars who perform at our properties,” says Amy Trench, corporate director of brand marketing & PR for Valencia Hotel Group.
In Austin, you can catch good ol’ fashioned Texas country by Drew Moreland and Clayton Gardner, bluegrass by Reagan Quinn, and much, much more.
With unique programming at each of Valencia’s properties, there’s something for everyone to enjoy all summer long.
The perks
If you’re a Valencia Hotel Group Rewards member, the perks are plentiful. Enjoy up to 10% off the Best Available Rate, and for a limited time, members can save up to 15% off a stay of 2 nights or more, for select stays in 2022.
But that’s really just the beginning. At select locations, you can enjoy discounts on weeknight stays, a complimentary third night, or curated packages for a romantic getaway or a night of watching the Verde at Q2 Stadium. You’ll also find special rates for AAA and AARP Members, educators, and front-line heroes including military, law enforcement, fire, and rescue workers.