With population growth, many cities are resorting to dumping treated sewage into waterways, which communities depend on for drinking water, recreational use and habitats for aquatic species. Texas allows treatment plants to pollute our waters, but cities are choosing better ways to manage their wastewater that protects waterways and saves them money. One city in Texas, Marble Falls, implemented an innovative solution to address the increasing demand for water and manage wastewater.
Nearly 10 years ago, Marble Falls began a recycling effort to address years of drought and growth concerns. The city manager, Mike Hodge, refers to the water-saving solution as the purple pipe system. Unlike other Texas cities, Marble Falls reuses treated wastewater to irrigate their park systems. Instead of building another wastewater treatment plant, the City saved money by using 15 million gallons of wastewater in the first year and continues to use the purple pipe system to water parks.