City of Kyle diversifying water sources amid pervasive drought conditions
KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – The City of Kyle celebrated Monday the arrival of its first allotment of water from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, which was delivered via a pipeline.
Alliance Water, a regional water authority, constructed the 20-mile pipeline, bringing groundwater from the Carrizo-Wicox Aquifer, a large aquifer that spans 60 Texas counties, to Kyle. This is Kyle’s fifth source of water.
“The City of Kyle [is] one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Water is critical to that growth,” said Mike Murphy, the director of water utilities for the city of Kyle. “To increase our water portfolio, we have to rely on other sources to get water here.”
The new source brings 1.73 million gallons per day, increasing the city’s water capacity by over 26.7%. By 2027, the city said this number will increase to 3 million gallons of water a day.
Planning to ensure the city has enough water to support future growth has been a priority for city leaders. At a recent meeting, Kyle’s city council approved its first master plan designed to guide the city’s water planning for the next 50 years.
“We went ahead and sort of laid out what we anticipate the city of Kyle to look like, growth-wise, whether it’s residential population, commercial population, and the combination of both,” Meyers said.
Meyers said the plan monitors existing water sources and outlines strategies to acquire more to meet demand at five, ten, and 50 years into the future.
In 2000, Kyle had a population of 5,000 people. This number grew to over 50,000 in 2020, city leaders project it growing to nearly 150,000 by 2080. The city is currently under Stage 3 drought restrictions.
“It is incredibly important that we stay on top of the water supply,” Meyers said.
