In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, Marble Falls Mayor John Packer outlined an ambitious water recycling plan for the city, emphasizing direct potable reuse—often called 'toilet-to-tap'—as a necessary step for Texas communities facing growth and drought. The episode, recorded lakeside with construction in the background, highlighted how the Hill Country city is navigating challenges from a booming population and 1950s-era infrastructure.
Packer, a small business owner and returning mayor, described water as the defining issue for Texas cities. 'If we draw over a million gallons of water outta the lake every day to make drinking water, and we produce roughly 800,000 gallons of wastewater, we can turn that 800,000 into at least 600,000 or 700,000 gallons of water. It's just a kind of a no-brainer,' he said. He acknowledged the concept 'makes people cringe a little bit,' but insisted 'it's the future.'
The plan involves a three-pronged approach combining Highland Lakes surface water, a newly purchased well water system, and direct potable reuse from a relocated wastewater plant. This strategy is part of Marble Falls' broader effort to secure water supplies as drought pressure mounts west of the dry line. Packer noted that the city already produces roughly 800,000 gallons of wastewater daily, which could be converted into hundreds of thousands of gallons of drinking water.
The conversation also touched on operational realities behind growth. Packer recounted how July 4th flooding turned Lake Marble Falls into 'chocolate milk,' quadrupling treatment cycle times for weeks. He explained that more than 35,000 vehicles cross through town daily on Highway 281, a route stretching from Mexico to the northern United States, yet traffic nearly vanishes after 7 p.m., complicating TxDOT funding cases. The city is coordinating with TxDOT, LCRA, TCEQ, and the county on the 281 and 1431 intersection and the Highway 71 corridor.
Beyond water, Marble Falls is investing in quality-of-life projects: a new lakefront hotel conference center now under construction, connecting Main Street shops and restaurants to Lake Marble Falls; a built beach along a lake that can flood 18 feet; expanded trails and sidewalks; a popular skate park; and a partnership in the One Water initiative tied to the new wastewater plant's purple pipe system. The Economic Development Corporation strategy largely avoids financial incentive packages, focusing instead on business retention and facade grants.
For business and technology leaders, Marble Falls' approach illustrates how midsize cities are tackling water scarcity with innovative reuse technologies. Direct potable reuse, while still uncommon in Texas, offers a model for communities facing similar constraints. Packer's framing of the issue as a 'no-brainer' underscores the economic and environmental logic behind recycling wastewater into drinking water, a shift that could become more widespread as climate pressures intensify.
The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, travels the state interviewing mayors, business owners, and civic leaders shaping Texas communities. The Marble Falls episode is available now on YouTube and wherever podcasts are heard. The show always shouts out its favorite Texas brand, Chisos Boots.
