A Need Fulfilled.
Aqua began in the 1970s when the U.S. Farm and Home
Administration extended loans and grants to spur start-up water systems all over
the U.S. to provide safe drinking water at reasonable prices to rural areas.
Prior to then, rural residents in the area often hauled water or used cisterns.
There were some scattered community wells, but the quality varied from location
to location. Since its earliest days to today, Aqua's mission has been to
ensure a safe, reliable water supply for its members.
Aqua serves rural residents in a 953-square mile area in
six counties, including most of Bastrop County and parts of Travis, Lee, Caldwell,
Fayette and Williamson counties.
Numbers tell the
story.
What makes Aqua's services possible is a detailed system
of water wells, storage tanks, pipes, pumps and connections.
-
17,200 connections
as of August,
2009
-
1,711
miles
of pipe
-
29 water wells with 16,537 gallons-per-minute combined
capacity
-
23 pump stations with 52,345
gallons-per-minute total
capacity
-
20 pressure planes
-
11 Standpipes with 623,500
gallon capacity
-
21 ground storage tanks with
a total capacity of
7,709,800 gallons
-
24 elevated storage tanks
with a total capacity of
6,227,000 gallons
-
14,560,300 total gallons of
storage
All of this represents a significant investment in
long-term planning for our area. The board of directors maintains a
multi-year plan to guide capital investments and "stay ahead of the curve" so
that we do not experience water shortages.
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Conserving when water is
scarce.
In the summers when water is
scarce, Aqua follows "Water
Wise," the five-day water
conservation program used by
many water utilities in Texas.
Under "Water Wise," Aqua
encourages members to conserve
water voluntarily by restricting
certain uses (like
lawn-watering) to every fifth
day. Conservation helps everyone
save by eliminating the need to
build new water storage tanks
just for those peaks-use times.
Also, conservation habits help
everyone save money in times of
drought.
Good neighbor.
Aqua works hard to be a good
neighbor by having an open door
to everyone in our area –
cities, counties, sheriff’s
offices, other utilities,
schools, and civic groups. After
all, most of our employees live
in the area and are customers
too. |