Austin Water gets approval from City Council on GoPurple program

An Austin Water program aimed at saving 16 millions of gallons of drinking water per day via reclaimed water and onsite water usage was approved by Austin City Council during its scheduled meeting Thursday.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An Austin Water program aimed at saving 16 millions of gallons of drinking water per day via reclaimed water and onsite water usage was approved by Austin City Council during its scheduled meeting Thursday.

Some of those key elements in the program include "water sustainability code changes, program incentives, as well as funding mechanisms to support foundational aspects of Austin Water's Water Forward Initiative," according to the city.

The name GoPurple is a way to hint at the water industry color-coding system for pipe infrastructure. Purple pipes signify reclaimed water has been treated and is ready to be used for "non-potable needs," the release said.

The city said this is a way to utilize reclaimed water for non-drinking water needs, it can avoid triggering water use fees, which saves an estimated $10 million annually, according to the city.

“For the past 25 years, Austin has been on the cutting edge of water conservation, sustainability, and environmental protection,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in the release. “Austin Water’s GoPurple Program reinforces our visionary leadership in those areas once again.”

To fund the program, the city said an "additional community benefit charge of $0.15 per thousand gallons" was approved by city council. This then equates to "approximately $1.47 for the average residential customer."

Additionally, the city also has a voluntary rate program, called Purple Choice and Purple Choice+, and it will be available to residential and commercial customers who want to "support reclaimed system expansion and programs."

To learn more about the GoPurple program, you can visit the Austin Water website.