New pipeline to draw deep Travis water

CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) - As the drought drags on, Lake Travis is shrinking into "Travis Pond," and some cities are worried about being able to draw water from it.

Cedar Park and Leander are teaming up to launch a new $7 million pipeline project. By next May their current pump barges may only have a water depth of five feet to spare. Their new pipeline would extend 4,200 feet out into deeper water, providing them an additional depth of 20 more feet.

Phase 1, at a cost of $4.5 million, will begin in a few weeks.

"We're simply putting the pipeline on the bottom of the lake, in the ground, to get to that further location. We're anticipating that will be completed in the springtime," said Cedar Park Utility program manager Katherine  Woerner.

In November the cities will determine if they need the $2.5 million Phase 2, renting a new pump barge to draw from that pipeline. The project will provide water for 100,000 people. Cedar Park and Leander will split the cost 70-30, respectively.

This project was originally considered during the 2009 drought, but wasn't needed. Now it may be.

"Hopefully it will rain, hopefully we won't need this. But when you look at long term forecasts for central Texas, if it's not this year it will be a few years from now," said Woerner.

It's been said that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. In Central Texas you can add droughts and shrinking lakes.