Austin, Texas, is leaking. And it’s not alone.
Large Texas cities have aging and insufficient water pipes that lose billions of gallons of water every year due to leaks and water main breaks, according to the Texas Tribune.
Austin’s water losses have been steadily increasing since 2021, reaching 9.3 billion gallons in 2024, KXAN reported. That’s 31% higher than the 7.1 billion gallons lost in 2023 — enough to fill Lake Austin, an audit found.
A digital smart meter initiative is now helping Austin monitor and address leaks faster, officials say.
Austin Water’s My ATX Water program is gradually modernizing the utility’s water metering system with digital smart meters that provide customers with near-real-time data via a portal and can detect and alert customers to potential leaks.
The utility has installed around 267,000 wireless smart meters since 2020 and estimates they have saved 1.2 billion gallons of water through leak notifications and repairs since 2021. The initiative was recognized this spring in the IDC Smart Cities North America Awards.
Austin Water Director Shay Ralls Roalson said in a March news release that the utility is using technology that can make an impact on the community.
"Our My ATX Water Portal gives our customers the power and tools they need to play an active role in protecting Austin's water supply, with our dedicated teams supporting them every step of the way,” she said.
Along with alerting users to potential leaks, the smart water system offers daily water-usage reports, water-budgeting tools and water conservation opportunities. The program is helping to build “a more sustainable water future for generations to come,” Roalson said.
The city is also replacing insufficient water pipes and secured $45 million from the state last year to upgrade its polybutylene pipes. Polybutylene, a material that was popular from the 1960s to the 1980s, becomes brittle over time and is prone to leaks, according to the city.
“Upgrading these pipes will significantly enhance efficiency and help reduce water loss,” the city said in a press release.
