The city of Pflugerville officially returned to standard Stage 1 water conservation measures following improvements at the surface water treatment plant, according to a July 25 news release.

The update: City water customers may now use automatic irrigation once per week on their designated watering day before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m., wash outdoor surfaces once per week on their designated watering day at any time, and fill swimming pools.

The eased restrictions are possible because of the installation of advanced water filtration membranes at the Surface Water Treatment Plant, according to the release. The new membranes increase the plant’s treatment capacity, enabling the city to safely produce and deliver more drinking water, and support the transition from modified Stage 1 to standard Stage 1 water conservation measures.

Quote of note: “This milestone is possible because our community stepped up to conserve water while we worked through critical improvements at our water treatment plant,” Pflugerville Mayor Doug Weiss said in the release.

Plans for a new Hao Hao Vietnamese & Chinese Restaurant in Pflugerville have been filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The details: Construction is set to begin on Sept. 15 and wrap up on Jan. 31. The 2,800 square-foot project is estimated to cost $500,000, according to the filing.

Hao Hao has locations in Round Rock and Leander. The restaurant’s menu offers a range of entrees from pho and vermicelli to sauteed meat, vegetables and noodles.

• 17713 N. SH 130 service road, Bldg. 2, Ste. 200, Pflugerville

Williamson County’s gross domestic product is up about $8 billion since 2022, making it the 90th largest global economy, officials said.

Dave Porter, executive director of the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership, presented an economic update and the organization’s five-year strategic plan to commissioners July 21.

By the numbers: This year, the county’s GDP reached $44.6 billion, up from $36 billion in 2022. Job growth rate stands at 2.5%, and the median household income is $111,340 for WilCo residents.

Looking ahead: The EDP’s newly finalized five-year strategic plan aims to encourage local employment with a “Live Here, Work Here” initiative. With a workforce of 435,000, over 202,000 residents currently commute outside the county for work daily, primarily to Travis County.

One more thing: Porter will retire as executive director at the end of December, and the EDP board of directors is now accepting applications for the position.

A Burlington in Kyle, a Fairfield Inn in Bastrop and an AutoZone in Austin are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Burlington ($16.5 million): A new Burlington store is coming to the Kyle Park mixed-use development.

2. Fairfield Inn Staybridge Suites ($10 million): A new 121-key hotel is coming to Bastrop, with construction set to conclude in summer 2028.

3. Slaughter Lane Signal Improvements ($1.2 million): This project includes the installation of accessible pedestrian push-buttons, pedestrian signal poles, and renovation of curb ramps and adjacent sidewalks at 11 traffic signals on the Slaughter Lane corridor.

4. AutoZone ($1.1 million): A new AutoZone location is planned for Austin. The 6,446 square-foot auto parts store is set to begin construction in April.

5. Jersey Mike's ($250,000): A new Jersey Mike's is planned for Cedar Park. The 1,457-square-foot sandwich shop is expected to be completed in October.

Texas lawmakers are considering cutting a costly, decade-old tax break for the state’s booming data center industry.

The overview: Texas spends more than $1 billion annually on the sales tax exemption, and the comptroller’s office estimated in 2025 that due to the program, the state will lose about $3.2 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years.

The Lone Star State is home to the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, and the Data Center Coalition, which advocates for the industry, has argued that the tax break program is key to maintaining that title. Senators and members of the public who spoke at a July 27 hearing disagreed.

Looking ahead: Amid a bipartisan push for more regulation of data centers, senators indicated that they intend to add more strings to the tax exemption program or eliminate it entirely.

"The question is whether or not we need to have a special session where all of us are focusing in on this," Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said.

“We do,” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, replied.