The city of Dripping Springs is making progress on a new wastewater treatment facility, as well as two other water infrastructure projects.

The overview: At a May 19 meeting, City Council approved an agreement with Carollo Engineers for final design services related to the South Regional Water Reclamation Facility expansion. The final design of the solids storage and recuperative thickening facility will cost a maximum of $199,822 and will be funded by loans from the Texas Water Development Board, or TWDB.

Also on the agenda: Dripping Springs City Council also approved two projects to be included in a TWDB Water Supply Infrastructure Grant application: an advanced purification project and a rainwater collection system at Dripping Springs Ranch Park.

Looking ahead: The final design of the solids storage and recuperative thickening facility is expected to be completed May 28, with final City Council approval July 21. Applications for the TWDB grant are due July 30.

The latest data from Unlock MLS shows signs that the housing market is ticking up in Central Texas, with higher year-over-year home sales and homes selling closer to their original listing price.

The details: Representing the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan statistical area, or MSA, the data released May 12 shows residential home sales increased 2% year over year in April for the MSA, reaching 2,648. That's the highest number of monthly home sales so far this year, up from a 0.5% year-over-year increase in March and decreases in both January and February. 

“What stands out in April’s data is the shift in buyer psychology and overall market momentum," said Vaike O’Grady, market research advisor at Unlock MLS, in a news release. "Many buyers who had been delaying their home search took advantage of the temporary dip in mortgage rates we saw earlier this year and moved quickly once conditions became more manageable."

Increasing pending and closed sales point to a market where buyers are "stepping into the market with more urgency," O'Grady said.

Peter Sandford, owner of Smarter Homes, brings decades of experience in Austin to the home technology industry. The West Lake Hills business was established in 2006, offering expertise on home automation systems to locals. 

In a nutshell: Sandford specializes in designing systems for lighting, motorized shades, security and more, with a focus on reliability, longevity and easy-usage, he said.

Zooming in: One of his areas of interest is smart irrigation systems, which use connected controllers, sensors and live data to automate watering schedules. The system takes into account environmental factors, including weather, soil moisture and temperature to adjust watering needs. 

“When integrated into a smart home, irrigation becomes dynamic, improving efficiency and reducing water waste,” Sandford said.

Sandford connected with Community Impact to talk about the home automation process and further details for implementing smart irrigation systems. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.