Save Water, Choose Purple!
The Purple Choice program empowers Austin Water customers to directly support water recycling projects that benefit the entire community. By opting into a voluntary, ongoing contribution of $6 per month on your water bill, you’ll help grow Austin’s recycled water network, which currently stretches more than 70 miles under the city in special purple-colored pipes.
Also known as reclaimed water, this recycled water is captured from drains at homes and businesses around the city, treated to a high quality at our facilities, and sent back to customers to be used for non-drinking purposes like irrigation, flushing toilets, and evaporative cooling. By building out our purple pipe network and connecting the system to new customers, we’ll save millions of gallons of drinking water for everyone, every day. That means more water for you, and less water pumped from local lakes.
Purple Choice depends on collective action to accelerate this expansion of our recycled water network, allowing more customers in more places to connect in the future. Choose purple by opting into the program today!
Austin Water customers can opt-in on their City of Austin Utilities bill. Once you are logged into your account, choose Manage Billing (Under Billing and Payment) and then select Charity Contributions. You can opt out anytime.
- Purple Choice FAQs
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What is recycled (or reclaimed) water?
Reclaimed water is essentially recycled water. Wastewater that is generated by homes and businesses (all the water that goes down the drain) is treated and used again for non-drinking water purposes, including watering lawns, flushing toilets, cooling tower systems and other industrial uses.
Recycled water is a sustainable strategy to extend our water supply. It’s a way of using water treated to the highest levels for drinking water, then reusing it over and over for other purposes. Austin Water has been building out a recycled water system since the 1990s. Today that infrastructure stretches more than 70 miles. With ongoing growth and years of drought, it is more important than ever to recycle water, as we prepare for the demands of the future.
What is the Purple Choice program?
Purple Choice is a voluntary, opt-in, on-going contribution to support expansion of Austin’s recycled water infrastructure.
Austin Water customers can opt-in on their City of Austin Utilities bill. Once you are logged into your account, choose Manage Billing (Under Billing and Payment) and then select Charity Contributions. You can opt out anytime.
Why should I subscribe to Purple Choice?
Purple Choice empowers Austin Water customers to participate in a water-saving project that benefits the entire community. Recycling wastewater for non-drinking purposes means that we need less water from our water supply sources – Lakes Travis and Austin – every day.
When you subscribe to Purple Choice, you are investing in Austin’s sustainable water future. That’s especially important in drought-prone Texas where we must not only conserve but reuse water to serve everyone’s needs, despite a changing climate.
How does subscribing to Purple Choice impact Austin’s water supply?
When customers have access to recycled water, we need less water from the Highland Lakes – the source of Austin’s water supply. Purple Choice relies on the power of the collective to speed up getting major water users connected to the purple pipe network. This will preserve more water for everyone.
If I sign up will my home or business receive recycled water for non-drinking water purposes?
Signing up for the Purple Choice program will not commit your home or business to receive recycled (reclaimed) water. Recycled water service is only available to locations that have a reclaimed water pipeline in the street nearby. To learn if your property is near one, check out our system map or refer to the permitting process.
The Purple Choice program will help fund the expansion of the purple pipe network. While most homes don’t have access to the reclaimed water network, homeowners who opt in to the Purple Choice Program are increasing the amount of recycled water used in Austin.
New commercial and multifamily developments are now required to connect to the reclaimed system if they are within 250 – 500 feet of the network. In addition, many businesses can sign up for a reclaimed connection once the purple pipe network has been expanded to their location. Building more purple pipe will serve more users and save more water for everyone.
Where is reclaimed water available in Austin?
Austin Water currently serves 189 customers with 1.4 billion gallons of reclaimed water annually, or about 3% of Austin’s total water demand. Our goal is to achieve 8 billion gallons annually by 2040. Check out our system map to see where purple pipes are already available.
How will subscribing to Purple Choice affect my bill?
Your contribution to Purple Choice will add $6 to your monthly bill. For less than the cost of lunch, you can invest in a sustainable water future for Austin.
If I sign up for the program, can I cancel later?
Once you have opted in to support Purple Choice, you will continue to be charged $6 each month until you opt out. You can unsubscribe at any time, but two billing cycles are required to cancel a subscription.
Where do Purple Choice funds go?
Your contribution to Purple Choice will enable Austin Water to expand the purple-pipe network, allowing more customers to connect.
Will Purple Choice participation affect my water service?
Purple Choice participation does not affect your current water and wastewater service.
Where can I learn more about reclaimed water?
Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page located here: Reclaimed Water FAQ | AustinTexas.gov