Our Water Future is Strong

Yes. NBU has a long-term water plan designed to meet today’s needs and increased demand even during drought. Continued smart water use helps ensure that the supply stays strong well into the future.

We are currently in a drought. Coordinated conservation helps reduce strain on the system, avoid costly infrastructure upgrades, and protects water resources and supply for the long term.

Restrictions are triggered by environmental conditions such as aquifer levels and spring flow. They help reduce demand and protect critical water sources during periods of stress.

Outdoor watering is the largest source of water use, especially in the summer. Limiting watering days and times helps reduce waste and ensures water is available when demand is highest.

Each community sets rules based on their own water portfolio. New Braunfels uses several water supplies that are impacted by drought. When certain drought thresholds are met, water restrictions take effect to preserve water supplies and spring flows. NBU must follow those restrictions.

Not always. It takes consistent, above-average rainfall over time to improve water supply conditions. Short-term rain may reduce demand temporarily, but regulatory agencies use long-term levels and conditions to determine whether restrictions change.

Water waste includes things like water running into streets or sidewalks, irrigating during rain or high wind, and ignoring leaks on your property. Avoiding these helps protect supply and reduce unnecessary costs.

Learn about simple checks you can do to detect leaks.

Simple changes can make a big difference. Water early morning or late evening, fix leaks quickly, use efficient irrigation systems, and avoid overwatering. NBU also offers tools,  guidance, and rebates to help you optimize usage.

Yes. Using less water, especially outdoors, will reduce your monthly bill. NBU also provides tools like usage tracking, leak alerts, and rebates to help customers save money.

NBU provides free home water assessments, leak detection tools, rebates for efficient upgrades, and usage tracking. These resources make it easier to use water wisely and keep costs down.

River and surface water levels can change quickly based on weather and rainfall. NBU’s water supply comes from multiple sources, including the Edwards Aquifer. Low lake levels can signal dry conditions, but they do not mean the community is running out of water. Our long-term plan is designed to manage these changes and ensure a reliable supply.

What you’re seeing in low lake levels and reduced river flow are a real signs of drought in our region. The Comal River is spring-fed, which means its flow comes directly from the Edwards Aquifer. When aquifer levels drop during dry conditions, spring flow decreases, and that shows up as lower river levels in the Comal. Lakes and reservoirs can also decline when there’s less rainfall.

So yes, these conditions reflect drought. But they don’t represent the full picture of our water supply.

NBU customers don’t rely on a single source. Over the past decade, we’ve built a diversified water portfolio and expanded the infrastructure needed to treat and deliver that water. This allows us to continue meeting customer demand even when one source, like the Edwards Aquifer, is under stress.

NBU does not control growth or development decisions in New Braunfels. That responsibility belongs to city planning and local government. NBU plans for growth by expanding supply, improving system efficiency, and preparing for increased demand. Combined with smart water use, this ensures we can continue to provide reliable water service to our community while keeping our water future strong.

NBU has been researching the use of ASR to augment our current water supply portfolio.  It is a recommended strategy because it does not require additional water rights permits. Water utilities commonly use elevated storage and ground storage tanks; aquifer storage and recovery uses underground storage referred to as aquifer storage and recovery (ASR).  During times of surplus, utilities can store excess water underground in an aquifer for later use when it’s needed.

Expanding treatment capacity helps us deliver water reliably during high-demand periods, reduce strain on existing infrastructure and support long-term growth without compromising service.