Austin Water launched “Renewing Austin” today, a five-year program to replace 75 miles of old cast-iron waterlines.
The announcement was made this morning at a construction site downtown, where old pipes were already being replaced.
“We’re going to try to replace about 15 miles of those projects every year for at least the next five years,” said Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros. “And hopefully much beyond that, and so we’re going to be investing ... millions dollars over the next five years to replace those projects that are high priority for us.”
The $125-million project will concentrate on neighborhoods clustered in the central area of Austin, “areas chosen after reviewing historical data, visual inspections, and testing of water lines with special acoustic equipment that ‘listens’ for leaks,” according to a statement from the utility.
