Georgetown utility customers will see increases to their water, wastewater and stormwater utility bills starting Oct. 1.

The increased rates will help address environmental compliance, population growth and capital improvement projects, city officials said at a May 26 City Council workshop.

What residents should know: The city’s residential stormwater fee will increase from $6.50 per month to $8.50 per month. By fiscal year 2029-30, the rate will reach $10.50 per month.

Commercial properties will see increases from about $65 per month to $85 per month. The commercial rate will reach $105 by FY 2029-30.

For water bills, customers' base charges will increase by 4% and volumetric rates will increase by 14% on Oct. 1. Wastewater rates are projected to increase by 12% annually through 2031.

A typical residential user consuming 6,000 gallons of water a month will see their bill rise from $127.35 to $139.65.

What else? Georgetown officials made a plan to shift the water and wastewater billing structure to place more of the cost burden on high-volume consumers.

Seva Pediatrics will begin seeing patients in Georgetown in mid-June.

About the business: Owned by Dr. Shubhra Malik, the practice will offer outpatient pediatric care, including well-child and sick visits, sports physicals, hearing and vision screenings, behavioral and ADHD consultants, lab services, and vaccinations. Malik said Seva means "to serve" in Hindi.

• 2951 FM 1460, Ste. 901, Georgetown

The county broke ground May 28 on improvements to Southwest Williamson County Regional Park in Leander, including artificial turf upgrades for four fields through a sponsorship with Lonestar Soccer Club.

About the project: The county will replace four fields with FIFA-certified synthetic turf to help reduce impacts from drought and wear, and allow for longer playing time, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Using artificial turf will also eliminate the maintenance costs of natural grass.

Lonestar Soccer Club will fund $6.5 million, and the county will pay the remaining cost, as well as fund the replacement of the eight-lane running track around Field 6, according to a county news release.

Learn more: Because Lonestar Soccer Club is sponsoring the project, the club will receive priority scheduling, discounted usage rates and naming rights for the four fields, as well as take ownership of the maintenance and replacement of turf.

Population growth, decreased rainfall and drought are among the factors contributing to the water supply conditions in Central Texas. Hill Country Alliance, RainBees and several Central Texas groundwater conservation districts hosted a presentation April 28 in Dripping Springs to inform local homeowners and community members about rainwater harvesting as an alternative to wells.

The details: There are two main types of rainwater collection systems: dry and wet. In a dry system, tanks are closer to the house or structure, and pipes deposit water directly into the tanks.

In a wet system, tanks tend to be further from the structure. Pipes are installed underground and come above ground closer to the tank. When the rain stops, wet systems will still retain water in the pipes.

By the numbers: For every inch of rain, each square foot of roofing can collect .62 gallons of water. A system with a 2,400 square-foot roof can collect 1,488 gallons per inch of rainfall.

Texas’ primary election season came to a close May 26 as candidates declared victory in dozens of federal, state and local runoff races.

The latest: The winner of each runoff will advance to the Nov. 3 general election, joining candidates who won their primaries outright in March.

Voters will see 18 statewide contests on the November ballot, alongside all congressional seats, most state legislative seats, eight State Board of Education seats and a variety of local positions.

On the ballot: 

• U.S. Senate: Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico
• Governor: Greg Abbott (incumbent) and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa
• Lieutenant governor: State Rep. Vikki Goodwin and Dan Patrick (incumbent)
• Attorney general: State Sens. Nathan Johnson and Mayes Middleton
• Comptroller: State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt and businessman Don Huffines
• Land commissioner: Dawn Buckingham (incumbent) and Bay City council member Benjamin Flores
• Agriculture commissioner: Businessman Nate Sheets and rancher Clayton Tucker
• Railroad commissioner: Former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French and state Rep. Jon Rosenthal