Pflugerville’s Pipes Keep Breaking — and That’s the Least of Its Water Problems
For the fifth time since September, Pflugerville woke up Tuesday to news that its raw water pipeline had failed.
Water flow to Lake Pflugerville stopped Tuesday after a fifth break was identified in the city’s raw water pipeline — the line that carries Colorado River water into the lake that serves as the city’s primary drinking water source.
Crews scrambled to respond, and city officials issued another urgent call for conservation. For residents who have been living under strict water restrictions since early March, the news was yet another gut punch.
City officials laid out the grim timeline at a recent council meeting: the first break hit in September and took 12 days to fix. A second came in November and required 17 days of repairs. A third break arrived in January — another 17-day fix. A fourth break was identified February 6, though crews didn’t locate it until February 17, buried roughly 20 feet beneath a creek.
Water flow to Lake Pflugerville has been restored using a temporary bypass waterline.🚰
— Pflugerville, TX (@PflugervilleTX) March 11, 2026
Stage 3 water restrictions remain while lake levels recover. Current depth: 16.52 ft. Target: 19 ft. Recovery could take 60+ days.
🔗More: https://t.co/5Y4eZDlHzC pic.twitter.com/2BdRYSo78h
And now a fifth.
According to the city, the most recent break occurred during construction of a new 42-inch secondary raw waterline — a project intended, ironically, to solve exactly this kind of vulnerability. That secondary line is not expected to be operational until the end of June 2026.
THE RESTRICTED AREA
The cascading failures have pushed Pflugerville into territory most Texas cities hope they’ll never visit. Mayor Doug Weiss signed an emergency disaster declaration to enable the city council to seek state aid, and the city has been under Stage 3 emergency water restrictions since March 4 — limiting water use to indoor purposes only.
All City of Pflugerville water customers must increase their conservation efforts to reduce demand on the system. Failure to increase water conservation may lead to further water restrictions.
— Pflugerville, TX (@PflugervilleTX) March 17, 2026
Officials say Stage 3 restrictions will remain in place until Lake Pflugerville reaches a depth of 19 feet. As of last week, the lake sat at 16.52 feet — a gap that represents hundreds of millions of gallons of water that must be recovered, a process officials estimate could take a minimum of 60 days.
“I’ve been here 25 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” one longtime resident told reporters, describing lake levels so low that waterfront areas that normally have water lapping at their feet were exposed and dry.
But while the pipeline failures are the immediate cause of Pflugerville’s crisis, they’re playing out against a backdrop of long-term water stress that is reshaping communities across Central Texas and beyond.
The Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has been locked in Stage 3 Exceptional Drought conditions since October 2025, the product of 43 straight months of drought that have pushed groundwater to the brink across south Austin, southern Travis County, and eastern Hays County. The district has warned that a Stage 4 Emergency declaration — which would be the first in its 39-year history — could arrive as soon as this month.
“We’re basically missing an entire year’s worth of rainfall at this point,” said Shay Hlavaty, communications manager for the district. “What we need is long-term, sustained, above-average rainfall, ideally for years.”
The drought’s reach extends well beyond the Austin metro. San Marcos has moved to Stage 3 restrictions, Canyon Lake sits at historic lows, and fast-growing cities like Kyle, Buda, and Dripping Springs are straining under the combined weight of population growth and shrinking water supplies. Farther south, communities in the Rio Grande Valley are grappling with reservoirs below 25 percent capacity.
What makes Pflugerville’s situation particularly instructive is how it illustrates the compounding risks facing Texas cities: aging or overstressed infrastructure meeting a water supply already thinned by years of drought, all while population growth drives demand ever higher.
Engineering projections warned that without intervention, Lake Pflugerville’s levels could fall below the city’s raw water intake structure by April 18 — threatening not just taps and sprinklers, but drinking water, sanitation, and firefighting capability.
The Texas Water Development Board approved roughly $74.8 million last August for a pump station expansion and about 15 miles of new raw water pipeline in Pflugerville — investments that were meant to future-proof the system. That future arrived ahead of schedule.
The lesson for the broader region is one that water planners have been sounding for years: infrastructure investment cannot wait, and diversifying water sources is no longer optional. For now, Pflugerville residents are being asked to cut back on laundry, skip the dishwasher, and turn off the tap while brushing their teeth — small acts in service of a very large problem.
The pipe will be repaired. The lake will eventually refill. But the drought isn’t going anywhere, and neither is Texas’s thirst.
2:00 p.m. UPDATE:
Repairs began today on the 5th break in the City's existing raw waterline. The temporary bypass waterline cannot supply the lake during this time. Stage 3 emergency restrictions remain. Pflugerville water customers must conserve immediately.
— Pflugerville, TX (@PflugervilleTX) March 18, 2026
🔗More: https://t.co/5Y4eZDlHzC pic.twitter.com/Qh2GJAoUiE
Sources:
- Pflugerville City Council meeting coverage and engineering reports, February–March 2026
- Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District drought stage declarations, 2025–2026
- City of Pflugerville official water updates and emergency communications, March 2026
- Texas Water Development Board project approval records, August 2025
- Local news reporting on Pflugerville water crisis, including resident interviews, March 2026
- Regional drought coverage: San Marcos, Canyon Lake, Kyle, Buda, Dripping Springs, and Rio Grande Valley water status reports, 2026
South by Southwest 2026 wraps up today in Austin after a seven-day run that marked a milestone for the festival. This year’s event celebrated SXSW’s 40th edition with a reimagined format, bringing the Innovation Conference, Film & TV Festival, Music Festival, and Comedy Festival together for the first time to run concurrently across all seven days. The festival ran a bit shorter than usual — March 12 through 18 — due to ongoing Austin Convention Center construction, which pushed programming into a sprawling pop-up footprint across downtown.
The economic impact of SXSW on local businesses:
As SXSW celebrates its 40th Anniversary this year, I took the fun opportunity to recognize The Continental Club, a legendary music venue that has been with this festival since the start and has helped Austin become the Live Music Capital of the World.
— Mayor Kirk Watson (@KirkPWatson) March 17, 2026
The Continental Club is one… pic.twitter.com/bNeFPZDSCR
“We’re very committed to being in Austin, Texas. We are excited that in March 2027, we will be back in Austin for another iteration of SXSW.” — Greg Rosenbaum, Senior VP of Programming for SXSW
South by Southwest organizers are continuing to deny speculation that the festival could be moving out of Austin. (CBS Austin)
(Episode from March 17, 2026)
Officials at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expect over 31,000 departing travelers today as SXSW enters its final day.
ABIA says that, though it is not a record-breaking travel day, the terminal is expecting to receive between 5,000 and 7,000 more departing passengers than a normal Wednesday.
An undercover operation involving officers posting on “known escort website(s)” resulted in the Austin Police Department making 21 arrests for solicitation of prostitution, according to court records. (KXAN-TV)
A man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly drove a stolen SUV off the road and directly at a group of four police officers in Central Austin. (CBS Austin)
This week’s Crime Watch from FOX 7 Austin:
A GoFundMe page has been established to help raise funds for Aidan Hearn, a passenger on the CapMetro bus last week that was the scene of a stabbing incident. Hearn tackled the suspect and was injured in the process of trying to keep him from harming other riders.
TxDMV officials are reminding people to exercise caution before clicking on links in messages that appear threatening or demand immediate action.
Authorities have identified three children killed in a March 11 townhome fire, though investigators say they have found “insufficient evidence” to determine what sparked the early morning blaze.
A reported gas explosion in the Heritage Oaks neighborhood of Georgetown Tuesday caught a home on fire.
Central Texas fire departments are beginning to use new modeling technology to help prepare for wildfires.
Incoming: Bikeshare Station upgrades 🚲⚡️
— CapMetro (@CapMetroATX) March 17, 2026
📍 5th & Broadway has expanded and now includes 19 docks
📍 2nd & Pedernales has been relocated 350 feet west for easier access
More updates and upgrades to come over the next few months!
Learn more about CapMetro Bikeshare at… pic.twitter.com/cK5qrWMMA5
Burnet Road will undergo a major improvement project in the coming years to accommodate growth near the Domain and Q2 stadium.
Driverless freight trucks are coming to Central Texas, using SH 130 as a testing ground.
An East Austin intercity bus hub is seeing a boost in ridership.
The Yeti store on South Congress Avenue will have a new outdoorsy neighbor soon. Duck Camp is moving its headquarters and retail business to the area with space on the street, turning unique real estate into a new opportunity. (Austin Business Journal)
The Taylor City Council approved amending several contracts with engineering firms, one of which was tied to a project called “Samsung Fab Two.”
WEATHER
TUESDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
A record low temperature of 29 degrees was recorded yesterday at the airport. The previous record was 30 degrees set back in 2005.
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
TEXAS DROUGHT MONITOR
The Republican runoff election for the U.S. Senate primary race in Texas is officially on after President Donald Trump missed the boat to pick a candidate to drop out of the running. The deadline for any candidate to withdraw from the race was yesterday.
Sen. John Cornyn released an AI ad attacking Ken Paxton and his alleged mistresses.
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Texas to push the application deadline for its private‑school voucher program to March 31, ruling the state improperly excluded Islamic schools from participating. The decision follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by four Muslim parents and three Islamic private schools, who argued that state officials discriminated against their faith by barring their campuses from the program. (Texas Tribune)
Corpus Christi is facing a dire water shortage crisis. Gov. Greg Abbott is stepping in.
A major fire ignited in downtown Gatesville (Coryell County) on Monday night, destroying multiple buildings.
Y'all, there has been a massive fire in downtown Gatesville, Texas. It looks like the courthouse is okay, but at least three circa 1900 buildings are gone. Videos etc … here:https://t.co/hDzHQ0aJjw
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) March 17, 2026
An 18-wheeler and an Amtrak train carrying more than 100 people were involved in a crash in Missouri City (Fort Bend County) on Tuesday. No serious injuries have been reported. According to Amtrak, 93 passengers and 11 crew members were on the train traveling from Los Angeles to New Orleans.
An @Amtrak passenger train from Los Angeles to Houston collided with an 18-Wheeler in Missouri City. Too early to say who is at fault. But more than 100 passengers were on the train. Everyone is fine. All being transported by @METROHouston. More on @abc13houston pic.twitter.com/fP69Nmtneg
— Miya Shay (@miyashay) March 17, 2026
The state health department reports that 99 of the cases originated in a contracted detention facility in Hudspeth County. (Texas Tribune)
What does Corpus’ looming water crisis mean for the rest of the state?
(Episode from March 17, 2026)
Outdoor recreation contributed 2.1% of Texas’ gross domestic product in 2024, according to new U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data. (Axios)
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Graduate guard Tramon Mark hit a game-winning jumper from the right wing with 1.1 seconds left to lift Texas (19-14) to a 68-66 victory over NC State (20-14) in a NCAA Tournament First Four contest at University of Dayton Arena on Tuesday night. With the win, the Longhorns advance to the NCAA West Region First Round and will face No. 6 seed BYU in Portland on Thursday, March 19 at 6:25 p.m. Central (4:25 p.m. Pacific) on TBS.
TEXAS FOR THE WIN!!! 🚨
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 18, 2026
LONGHORNS ARE READY TO GO DANCING AFTER A WILD FINISH AGAINST NC STATE 😱 pic.twitter.com/mQoC9ZYDtP
Sean Miller absolutely lost his mind on Texas assistant coach Ryan Anderson for running on the court after Tramon Mark’s game-winning shot.
— Zach Dimmitt (@ZachDimmitt7) March 18, 2026
Credit to the officials for not letting that ruin a great ending, but probably could have been a technical foul.
pic.twitter.com/qyibLRQsUd
THURSDAY, MARCH 19
COLLEGE BASEBALL: Not the result anyone was expecting.
TARLETON STATE DOMINATES #2 TEXAS 6-1 ON THE ROAD IN AUSTIN 🚨
— College Baseball News (@CollegeBSBNews) March 18, 2026
They held the Longhorns to just 2 HITS. pic.twitter.com/LUILZ4IA7W
No. 2 Texas came up short against Tarleton State, falling to the Texans, 6-1, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday evening. Up next, the Longhorns travel to face No. 5 Auburn at Plainsman Park. The three-game set begins at 6 p.m. CT. on Friday. (Texas Longhorns)
NBA: Number 51 for the San Antonio Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama had 18 points and eight rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Sacramento Kings 132-104 on Tuesday night. (Associated Press)
The Spurs have tonight off. Dallas and Houston are on the schedule.
NHL: The Dallas Stars are in Colorado tonight.
The crew highlights Sean’s always-entertaining Villains segment with a Stars twist, celebrates Jake Oettinger being named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week, and has some fun with the growing legend of the Lollipop Guild. From league recognition to playful chaos, it’s another wild week around the Dallas Stars.
(Episode from March 17, 2026)
MLB: A look at spring training games for the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
HOUSTON ASTROS
TEXAS RANGERS
MLS: A reminder that Austin FC is back in action this weekend.
What it was it like to live in Texas in the 1970s?
While the rest of America faced a grim recession and breadlines in the 1970s, Texas was throwing a lavish party fueled by $30-a-barrel oil and 19-foot Cadillacs.
Discover why the “Lone Star State” felt like a completely different planet during the decade of disco and inflation.
