Kyle officials feel confident that the city will not run out of water

Sam Stark
·2 min read
2

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – As more people move to one of the fast-growing cities in the country, Kyle residents worry if there will be enough water to support everyone into the future.

Severe drought that has troubled the entire region has led to a shrinking water supply in Kyle. The city remains under Stage 3 drought restrictions and earlier this month the city council approved a contract to buy water from neighboring San Marcos.

Staff said Monday that the city will likely not come out of Stage 3 before fall 2024.

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Kyle City Council Member Daniela Parsley said some are frustrated the city has had to remain under such severe restrictions and worry about the future of the city’s water supply as developers build.

“We have been growing so fast. A lot of the concerns I hear are, ‘Why do we keep approving developments if we don’t have enough water?’ And that is a valid question,” Parlsey told KXAN.

Parsley hosted a meeting Monday night with the water utilities department to help residents understand the city’s plans to ensure there is enough water for everyone in the future.

“Our current city manager does have a plan he wants to set for the future to make sure that there is the availability of water [with] new developments,” she said. “I would love for the residents to have access to that explanation. And to be able to ask all the questions, they have regarding infrastructure.”

At the meeting, city staff said it started taking water planning more seriously in 2023. Since then, the city has developed a short-term plan to preserve water until 2028, which takes into account a city growth rate of 10% annually.

Further, a firm is developing a 50-year Water Master Plan so that the city can be prepared for future generations. Staff said that the plan should be released by the end of the year.

“Sadly, there was just not a plan before, [but] we have one now,” Parsley said. “We know that there is a pathway forward. We are not going to run out of water.”

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