Disaster declared in Burnet County

BURNET, Texas (KXAN) - A drought disaster has been declared in Burnet County, making it possible to secure loans and assistance from FEMA and the state. Water delivery trucks as the main source of water may only be weeks away for this drought-stricken community.

Being one of the fastest-growing counties in the state of Texas used to be a source of pride here. Now it's become the area's biggest challenge, as local leaders try to stretch the limited water resources from Lake Travis.As Lake Travis continues to drop, the murkey water may become untreatable. And untreatable means unusable in many local Burnet County communities.

Communities such as Windermere Oaks and Ridge Harbor may soon need to truck in water deliveries. And we're not talking about the guys who haul the 20-gallon Ozarka jugs into your kitchen for drinking water. We're talking about all water needs for the tap -- from bathroom to kitchen to yard -- coming out of the back of a truck. That's the kind of challenge that sounds more like post-Hurricane Ike in Galveston than anything anyone in Austin is facing right now.

Doug Strain of the Windermere Water Supply Company says the community has already cut consumption through restrictions in half, but adds "We're in uncharted waters here.  We've never seen anything like this since the 1950's.