Lubbock Takes First Steps Toward Future Water Supply - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

Lubbock is supporting a plan to secure its future water supply.

In the first step in a series of action items, City Council voted Thursday to join ten other cities in a $50 million bond with the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority.

Lubbock gets a majority of its water from Lake Meredith. The problem is the lake is at 21% capacity. So, the city is joining the other ten cities in CRMWA to purchase additional water rights. Since Lubbock's share of the bond is 37 1/2%, the city will foot $18 million of the $50 million bill.

1/13/05 Northwest Lubbock Fire Station Re-Opening with 15 New Jobs Lubbock's fire chief is asking the City Council for a new station in Northwest Lubbock.

The good news is you won't see that increase in your water bill just yet. The rate increase for this particular bond will start showing up on your water bill in 2006.

The city believes quality of water is just as important as quantity. The City Council also took action Thursday to create a water treatment study.

Right now, waste water is dumped at the land application site. Now the city wants to look at ways to treat that water and use it. Thursday, Councilman Gary Boren said, "We have a change of philosophy now. We're going to try to treat water, discharge it into streams, agriculture use, drinking use or possibly reuse."

The study will also look at ways to improve and upgrade the Southwest Water Reclamation Plant.