Pflugerville officials said a series of pipeline failures over the past several months disrupted the city’s ability to pump water into Lake Pflugerville, ultimately forcing the city to implement Stage 3 emergency water restrictions March 4.

The overview: City officials said multiple breaks in the 30-inch raw water pipeline that carries water from the Colorado River to Lake Pflugerville limited the city’s ability to replenish its primary drinking water source.

“The current restrictions that are in place are not the result of one event,” Public Utility and Engineering Director Matt Rector told council members. “It is actually several distinct events that have happened.”

Also on the agenda: City Council also voted to extend the local disaster declaration for 60 days, through May 4.

Weiss said maintaining the declaration allows the city to respond more quickly and coordinate with state agencies assisting with the situation, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and others.

The Travis County Commissioners Court approved $12 million in funding for a new Precinct 2 building at a March 3 meeting.

The new facility comes as the county prepares to borrow $138 million through certificates of obligation in fiscal year 2025-26.

A closer look: The county has identified a new facility for its Precinct 2 office in Northwest Travis County, said Michelle Surka, Travis County assistant budget director. The Travis County Precinct 2 Constable's Office and Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 building is currently located at 10409 Burnet Road, Austin.

The $12 million in approved funding would cover the $11.5 million purchase of the property and $500,000 to design renovations. An additional $8 million in funding would be needed in FY 2026-27 for renovation-related construction costs, according to county documents.

The impact: The issuance of $138.88 million in debt for FY 2025-26 would increase a homeowner's annual tax bill by $13 based on an average taxable homestead value of $515,212, according to county documents. 

From a state office building to a gas station and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Texas Facilities Commission Pflugerville State Office Building: A four-story, 100,000-square-foot site featuring a conferencing center, flexible work suites and offices will house two state agencies.

2. Crescent Bluff West sections nine and 10 in Georgetown: The subdivision is slated to grow larger with an additional 3,384,612 square feet of single-family residential space. 

3. Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Pflugerville: Seating for 300 people, restrooms, classrooms and offices are among the amenities planned for a one-story, 16,644-square-foot sanctuary.

4. Fuel Hub in San Marcos: Motorists traveling through San Marcos will have another place to fill their tanks once a 20,500-square-foot facility is constructed. 

5. Cash America Pawn in Austin: A pawn shop will be rebuilt on its existing site after the previous facility was damaged in a fire. It will total 5,156 square feet when complete. 

Over 2.3 million Democrats and nearly 2.2 million Republicans voted in the March 3 election, according to unofficial election results from the secretary of state. Totaling nearly 4.5 million voters, this is “the highest voter turnout for a primary in Texas history,” the secretary of state’s office said.

By the numbers: Nearly one-fourth of Texas’ 18.7 million registered voters participated in the primaries, shattering turnout rates from recent years. Less than one-fifth of registered voters cast ballots in the 2024 presidential and 2022 midterm primaries, state election records show.

Texas’ previous primary turnout record was set in 2008, when 4.2 million voters cast ballots in high-profile presidential primaries.

Zooming in: Election data shows the most people cast votes in the high-profile U.S. Senate races that topped the ticket, with the total numbers of votes steadily decreasing down the ballot in both primaries.

There is “some certainty” that voter enthusiasm will extend to the November midterm election, Republican data analyst Ross Hunt told Community Impact during early voting.