{"id":36480,"date":"2014-05-28T09:45:06","date_gmt":"2014-05-28T14:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=36480"},"modified":"2014-05-30T10:30:16","modified_gmt":"2014-05-30T15:30:16","slug":"months-behind-schedule-new-water-well-finally-arriving-for-spicewood-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2014\/05\/28\/months-behind-schedule-new-water-well-finally-arriving-for-spicewood-beach\/","title":{"rendered":"Months Behind Schedule, New Water Well Finally Arriving For Spicewood Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-36480 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2014\/05\/28\/months-behind-schedule-new-water-well-finally-arriving-for-spicewood-beach\/reding-spice-construction\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36951'>\n\t\t\t\tConstruction on the community&#8217;s new well system and treatment facility began only about a month ago.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/reding-spicewood-dry-fountain\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Spicewood-dry-fountain-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Spicewood-dry-fountain-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Spicewood-dry-fountain-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Spicewood-dry-fountain-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Spicewood-dry-fountain-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Spicewood-dry-fountain-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Spicewood-dry-fountain-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Spicewood-dry-fountain-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36957'>\n\t\t\t\tMost Spicewood Beach residents came here to retire with modest savings. Now they feel stuck in depreciated homes with a strained water supply.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2014\/05\/28\/months-behind-schedule-new-water-well-finally-arriving-for-spicewood-beach\/reding-spice-duich\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36952\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36952'>\n\t\t\t\tIn recent months, the community has received some winter rain. Come summertime though, resident Steve Duich says his front lawn will look &#8220;like a parking lot.&#8221;\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/reding-spice-pool\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-pool-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-pool-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-pool-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-pool-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-pool-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-pool-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-pool-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-pool-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36955'>\n\t\t\t\tAn empty above-ground pool sits in Duich&#8217;s front yard. Under Stage 4 emergency water restrictions, LCRA bans outdoor watering and urges for only essential water use.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/reding-spice-water-truck\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-water-truck-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-water-truck-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-water-truck-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-water-truck-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-water-truck-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-water-truck-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-water-truck-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-water-truck-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36956'>\n\t\t\t\tLCRA trucks water into this neighborhood five to six times a day. This began in early 2012 as a temporary solution.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2014\/05\/28\/months-behind-schedule-new-water-well-finally-arriving-for-spicewood-beach\/reding-spice-kim\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36953\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36953'>\n\t\t\t\tKim Clifton, a cashier, says her business has managed to keep busy as the only general store in Spicewood Beach. Other businesses can&#8217;t stay afloat in this small, tourist driven economy.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/reding-spice-boat-dock\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-boat-dock-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36949\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-boat-dock-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-boat-dock-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-boat-dock-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-boat-dock-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-boat-dock-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-boat-dock-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-boat-dock-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36949'>\n\t\t\t\tBoat docks that once drifted along the shores of Lake Travis now rest on a dry bed of grass and rocks..\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/reding-spice-plant-in-rocks\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-plant-in-rocks-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36954\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-plant-in-rocks-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-plant-in-rocks-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-plant-in-rocks-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-plant-in-rocks-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-plant-in-rocks-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-plant-in-rocks-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-plant-in-rocks-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36954'>\n\t\t\t\tAlong Lake Travis&#8217; rocky shoreline, plant life is sparse.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/reding-duich-levels\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Duich-levels-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36948\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Duich-levels-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Duich-levels-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Duich-levels-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Duich-levels-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Duich-levels-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Duich-levels-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-Duich-levels-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36948'>\n\t\t\t\tDuich points high above the stream of Lake Travis to show where the water have dropped from in recent years.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/reding-spice-castillo\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Castillo-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-36950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Castillo-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Castillo-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Castillo-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Castillo-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Castillo-128x128.jpg 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Castillo-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Castillo-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-36950'>\n\t\t\t\tTony Castillo, like many residents here, has resigned himself to a constantly unstable water supply.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Behind the counter of a general store just off Highway 71, Kim Clifton, the cashier, shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head when asked about the lingering drought. \u201cWe just need more rain,\u201d she says. She rolls her head back to let out an exasperated laugh, \u201cBring the rain! Bring it!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s something you hear all the time these days across Texas, but chances are you&#8217;ll hear it the most in Spicewood Beach, Texas, a Lake Travis community about 40 miles from Austin. Just a little over two years ago, it made headlines as the <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/tag\/spicewood-beach\/\">first community in Texas to run out of water<\/a>\u00a0during the current drought.<\/p>\n<p>In early 2012, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lcra.org\/Pages\/default.aspx\">Lower Colorado River Authority<\/a> (LCRA), which owns and manages the community\u2019s water system, announced that groundwater levels were falling, leaving its well useless.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/152013665&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_artwork=true&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nThose levels got so low LCRA began trucking in water five to six times a day as a temporary solution. Each load costs LCRA about 200 dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Now, over two years later, LCRA plans to put the finishing touches on a\u00a0<a style=\"font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lcra.org\/about\/newsroom\/news-releases\/2013\/pages\/lcra-board-oks-plan-to-build-new-water-supply-plant-for-spicewood-beach.aspx\">new well system<\/a>\u00a0costing\u00a0over a million dollars. The system was supposed to be completed last summer, but construction began\u00a0just last month.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Ryan Rowney, LCRA\u2019s water operations Vice President, blames the delay on permit issues and bad weather. He says \u201cweather conditions in the Northeast have certainly impacted deliveries in some instances.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But that weather struck well after the plant was supposed to be completed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_36953\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Kim Clifton, a cashier, says her business has managed to keep busy as the only general store in Spicewood Beach. Other businesses can't stay afloat in this small, tourist driven economy.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim-.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36953\" alt=\"Kim Clifton, a cashier, says her business has managed to keep busy as the only general store in Spicewood Beach. Other businesses can't stay afloat in this small, tourist driven economy.\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--300x247.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Kim--620x511.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">SHAWNA REDING \/ STATEIMPACT TEXAS<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kim Clifton, a cashier, says her business has managed to keep busy as the only general store in Spicewood Beach. Other businesses can&#39;t stay afloat in this small, tourist driven economy.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The new well system is scheduled to be completed this week. Until that happens, water continues to arrive by the truckload in the tiny neighborhood, giving residents like Kathy Mull what is barely needed to get by.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got a joke now,\u201d Mull says. \u201cWhen the big truck comes in, we\u2019ll say, \u2018Well there\u2019s our shower water.\u2019 And when the little truck comes in, we\u2019ll go, \u2018Well, there\u2019s our water to brush our teeth with.\u2019 You just have to keep a good spirit about it cause it\u2019s so sad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like most of the older, middle-income residents in this small community of about 1,100 people, Mull came here to retire. But now Mull and her neighbors <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/06\/24\/texas-community-without-water-still-waiting-for-a-solution\/\">feel stuck<\/a> in homes that have depreciated in value under Stage 4 emergency water restrictions. This limits residents to only essential water use and bans all outdoor watering.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy yard was essentially flawless,\u201d Steve Duich, President of Spicewood Beach\u2019s Property Owner\u2019s Association, says. \u201cAnd if you look at it now, it looks like a parking lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Current conditions strain daily life, but Duich says the water shortage has also strangled the community\u2019s tourism-driven economy.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_36952\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"In recent months, the community has received some winter rain. Come summertime though, resident Steve Duich says his front lawn will look &quot;like a parking lot.&quot;\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36952\" alt=\"In recent months, the community has received some winter rain. Come summertime though, resident Steve Duich says his front lawn will look &quot;like a parking lot.&quot;\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-300x205.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-Duich-620x425.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">SHAWNA REDING \/ STATEIMPACT TEXAS<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">In recent months, the community has received some winter rain. Come summertime though, resident Steve Duich says his front lawn will look &quot;like a parking lot.&quot;<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Just blocks from the tiny circuit of homes, a yellow blanket of grass has replaced the golf course. Empty cabanas line the border of a cliff where boat ramps and docks nestle against rocks.<\/p>\n<p>Far beyond the lonely boat ramps drifts what&#8217;s left of Lake Travis. The lake will connect to the community&#8217;s water system once LCRA builds a new underground well. It will replace the old, above-ground well that took from the water below Lake Travis.<\/p>\n<p>With no golf course to tee off from, residents often find themselves playing the blame game.\u00a0 And all fingers point at the LCRA.<\/p>\n<p>When LCRA bought the Spicewood Beach water system in 1999, the agency expanded the system to service a total of about 500 meters, which includes Lakeside Beach, Eagle Bluff and Lake Oaks. Two companies <a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/02\/where-did-spicewood-beachs-water-go\/\">even contracted to haul water out of the system<\/a> to surrounding areas in the year leading up to the well failure.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content alignright\"><h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4><div class=\"links\"><h5>Posts<\/h5><ul><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2014\/02\/21\/in-central-texas-water-war-shows-no-signs-of-drying-up\/\">In Central Texas, Water War Shows No Signs of Drying Up<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/06\/24\/texas-community-without-water-still-waiting-for-a-solution\/\">Texas Community Without Water Still Waiting For a Solution<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/11\/23\/lcra-vote-resonates-in-spicewood-beach\/\">LCRA Vote Resonates in Spicewood Beach<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/02\/14\/could-there-be-another-spicewood-beach\/\">Could Other Texas Towns Run Dry Like Spicewood Beach?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"topics\"><h5>Topics<\/h5><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/pipe-worker-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/spicewood-beach\/\">Spicewood Beach: The First Texas Community to Run Dry During the Drought<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe existent POA members feel that LCRA crashed the system and did not react quickly enough to correct it,\u201d Duich says. \u201cThe idea was that they took the infrastructure and ran with it and made as much money as possible and then we\u2019re left holding the bag.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rowney of LCRA says the agency has done right by the community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one\u2019s run out of water,\u201d Rowney says. \u201cThat\u2019s been some of the misconception about that whole system is that folks ran out of water and they didn\u2019t have any water to drink, and that has not been the case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once the project finally comes together, Spicewood Beach will see another change. LCRA will <a href=\"http:\/\/www.khou.com\/news\/texas-news?fId=238382281&amp;fPath=\/news\/local\/&amp;fDomain=10232\">sell the newly constructed water system<\/a> to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.corix.com\/\">Corix<\/a>, a private utilities company.<\/p>\n<p>Darrin Barker, Corix utilities operations manager, says the company has promised to keep LCRA\u2019s current water rates for one year upon ownership. After that?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_36951\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Construction on the community's new well system and treatment facility began only about a month ago.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36951\" alt=\"Construction on the community's new well system and treatment facility began only about a month ago.\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-300x168.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2014\/05\/REDING-spice-construction-620x348.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">SHAWNA REDING \/ STATEIMPACT TEXAS<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction on the community&#39;s new well system and treatment facility began only about a month ago.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s probably likely that a rate adjustment is going to be needed with the capital investments that we\u2019re making across many of the systems that we\u2019ve acquired from LCRA,\u201d Barker says.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.statesman.com\/news\/news\/special-reports\/growth-of-large-private-water-companies-brings-h-1\/nRh7F\/\">More and more in Texas<\/a>, rural homeowners are finding themselves with newly-privatized water supplies. Corix now owns <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/11\/29\/dry-texas-town-loses-water-truck-straining-a-lifeline\/\">more than 18 water systems previously managed by LCRA<\/a>. Often, those homeowners must choose between paying much higher rates or going without water.<\/p>\n<p>Many here in Spicewood Beach worry about what the future holds for their water. But most have resigned themselves to an unstable supply.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey do what they\u2019re gonna do,\u201d Tony Castillo, a resident says. \u201cWe\u2019re just over here hoping it rains.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Behind the counter of a general store just off Highway 71, Kim Clifton, the cashier, shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head when asked about the lingering drought. \u201cWe just need more rain,\u201d she says. She rolls her head back to let out an exasperated laugh, \u201cBring the rain! Bring it!\u201d It&#8217;s something you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[58],"tags":[61,31,107,85],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36480"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36480"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36963,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36480\/revisions\/36963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}