Austin Water is the municipal water utility for the City of Austin, serving over 1 million people across a service area of more than 548 square miles. Drawing water from the Lower Colorado River, the utility operates three major water treatment plants — Handcox, Davis and Ullrich — with a combined capacity of 335 million gallons per day. On the wastewater side, Austin Water runs two large treatment plants (Walnut Creek and South Austin Regional) that can treat up to 150 million gallons of sewage per day, returning high-quality treated effluent to the Colorado River or reusing it for non-potable purposes. The utility’s infrastructure is extensive: it maintains nearly 3,900 miles of water mains, 21 major pump stations, 38 reservoirs, and 44 booster/pump stations. Committed to environmental protection, Austin Water manages around 44,000 acres of wildlands, including the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, which supports endangered species and safeguards water quality. Innovation and sustainability are central to its mission. Austin Water’s Water Forward plan — a long-term vision for future water resilience — integrates water conservation, reclaimed water, and ecological strategies to adapt to climate risks and growth. The utility also runs the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, where biosolids are transformed into compost, and captures methane to generate energy. On 30 September 2025, Austin Water was inaugurated into the Leading Utilities of the World network during the WEFTEC ceremony in Chicago, represented by its Deputy Director, Randi Jenkins.