$90M Upgrade Set to Modernize Ullrich Water Treatment Plant

Rolling down the windows is about as good as it gets under today's blanket of clouds. Make the most of the calm morning before live rooms across town fill up tonight.

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The Lead

City Council authorized an $89.7 million construction contract to modernize disinfection systems at the 57-year-old Ullrich Water Treatment Plant. Commissioned in 1969 along Lake Austin, the facility treats up to 167 million gallons of drinking water daily for South Austin and neighboring communities. For decades, purification has depended on bulk shipments of pressurized gaseous chlorine and anhydrous ammonia. The newly funded conversion replaces those dangerous industrial gases with on-site hypochlorite generation—using salt, water, and electricity to produce a mild liquid bleach solution—alongside liquid ammonium sulfate. Because Ullrich cannot simply power down, contractor MGC will install a temporary disinfection loop before crews dismantle the legacy chemical tanks over the next 840 days. Austin Water plans to post the initial staging schedule for surrounding neighborhoods next month.

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Local Pulse

• Council Transfers Parkland for Southeast Road Project Parks Drivers gain a planned roadway connection after council approved using nearly three acres of greenbelt with dedicated mitigation funds.

• City Backs Esther’s Follies With Preservation Funding Business A five-year cultural grant helps keep the long-running comedy theater operating on East Sixth Street through rising downtown costs.

• Austin Expands Public Art Funding Rules City Hall Municipal facility projects must now dedicate two percent of total construction budgets toward commissioning local public art pieces.

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Today's Outlook

• High 82°F · Low 63°F — Overcast
  • A light layer works best under today's overcast skies and mild, muggy air.

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What's On Around Town

Today

• Sawyer Hill Historic Scoot Inn (1192 E Cesar Chavez St), 5:00 PM · Paid High-energy indie rock on the historic East Austin outdoor patio.

• The Peterson Brothers The Saxon Pub (1320 S Lamar Blvd), 6:00 PM · Free Soulful residency pairing Texas blues, funk, and groove.

• A.R. Rahman – The Symphonic Experience Bass Concert Hall (2350 Robert Dedman Dr), 7:30 PM · Paid Acclaimed composer presents grand orchestral arrangements of his celebrated film scores.

• Jazzmeia Horn Parker Jazz Club (117 W 4th St), 7:30 PM · Paid Grammy-nominated vocalist delivers an intimate, swinging showcase downtown.

• Milan Moorman Quartet The Elephant Room (315 Congress Ave), 9:00 PM · Paid Subterranean live acoustic jazz in the heart of downtown.

Tomorrow

• Hot Club of Cowtown The Continental Club (1315 S Congress Ave), 6:30 PM · Paid
• Teddy Swims Moody Center (2001 Robert Dedman Dr), 7:00 PM · Paid
• Chasing Abbey Antone's (305 E 5th St), 7:00 PM · Paid

Thursday

• Zilker Sessions: The Droptines & Angel White Antone's (305 E 5th St), 6:00 PM · Free
• Frog 29th Street Ballroom (2908 Fruth St), 7:00 PM · Paid
• Chris Stassy The Concourse Project (8509 Burleson Rd), 9:00 PM · Paid

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Spotlight & Story

• Chili Square
  • Long before downtown lunch rushes filled Republic Square, early 1900s Austinites called the plaza Chili Square. Mexican American workers from the neighboring Walker’s AusTex Chili Company gathered under its live oaks, transforming the block into a festive plaza with open-air food vendors and music.

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