Windermere Oaks Water Supply Corp. using LCRA grant for conservation projects
The Lower Colorado River Authority gave a $14,094 grant to Windermere Oaks Water Supply Corporation that will to toward a water-saving projects. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton
A Lower Colorado River Authority grant to Windermere Oaks Water Supply Corporation in Spicewood will help the community save about 4 million gallons of water a year.
The $14,094 cost-share grant will go toward a $48,375 project to recycle about 50 percent of backwash water at the corporation’s water treatment facility as well as begin using recycled water in the disinfection process at its wastewater treatment plant.
Windemere Oaks WSC serves about 263 retail customers.
“Backwash water recycling will help reduce the amount of water we have to take out of Lake Travis,” said George Burris, the general manager of the water supply corporation. “It’s good for us, the folks downstream, and for the river.”
Burris added that the wastewater plant recycling project will save fresh potable water by using recycled wastewater during the chlorine disinfection process.
“Currently, the water being used is taken directly from the main water system,” he said.
Windemere Oaks WSC can money saved for other needs.
“We calculated that this project will deliver an annual three percent savings in terms of the treated water we won’t use under our contract with the (Lower Colorado River Authority),” said Joe Gimenez, the corporation board president. “These types of money- and water-saving projects warrant significant attention by nonprofit corporations like ours. Reinvestments in operational efficiency are hard to come by, and we appreciate the LCRA enabling such a meaningful opportunity.”
John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of water, said the river authority is proud to support water conservation efforts such as the new projects by Windermere Oaks WSC.
“We applaud Windermere Oaks for pursuing these projects,” he said. “This isn’t a huge project in terms of the amount of water saved, but it’s a perfect example of how we should all be looking for ways to conserve and use recycled water whenever we can. We encourage other local water suppliers to look for similar ways to use water more efficiently.”
Burriss was thankful for the grant.
“The grant is a really good thing, and it helps us do a better job,” he said. “Even though we buy our water from LCRA, they are helping us promote conservation and reduce waste. We appreciate what they are doing for us.”