Domestic Use

Residential property owners can obtain a three-year contract from LCRA to pump water from one of the lakes. These are "firm" contracts, meaning the water is reserved even during severe drought conditions. The following documents provide more information on applying for a contract.

Online Domestic Use Contract Form

Domestic Use Packet for mail in

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Highland Lakes Domestic Use Contract Program?
A program for lakeside residents to get a contract from LCRA to pump water from the Highland Lakes.

Why is LCRA managing this program?
The Highland Lakes, including lakes Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls, Travis and Austin, are an important source of water for cities, industry, agriculture and the environment throughout the basin. As steward of this valuable but finite resource, LCRA has the responsibility to carefully conserve, manage and account for the use of water from the lakes. This becomes increasingly important during drought. Lakeside residents wishing to take water from the lakes must first have a contract with LCRA or have other legal authorization to take water from the lakes under state law.

How much does water cost under an LCRA domestic use contract?
The current annual rate for domestic water is $138 per acre-foot of water (325,851 gallons.) The contracts are from one to three years. A minimum amount of 0.75 acre-feet per year and a charge of $103.50 a year is required. The average amount for most customers is less than one acre-foot.

Isn’t the amount of water being used for domestic use insignificant compared to the amount used for other purposes?
LCRA estimates that an average of 5,000 acre-feet per year is being pumped from the Highland Lakes by lakeside residents – most of it for lawn watering. Based on population and development projections, this use is expected to increase to more than 10,000 acre-feet per year by 2050. That is enough water to supply some types of power plants.

How do I know whether I have an existing right to take water from the lakes under state law without a need for a contract with LCRA?
No one has the right to take water that has been stored in the Highland Lakes without a contract with LCRA. Only a person with an old “riparian” water right could possibly take water from the Colorado River, absent a contract with LCRA, a domestic and livestock exemption or a water right issued by the state of Texas.

I have been pumping water for years for free. Why should I have to pay?
It is only fair that all water customers pay their share of the costs for maintaining the dams, water quality and water conservation programs, and water supply planning.

What happens if I do not sign a contract with LCRA?
LCRA will do everything it can to help inform and work with lake residents who would like to pump water. Ultimately, unauthorized pumping is illegal and those responsible are subject to civil and criminal penalties through enforcement by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and court action by the state, LCRA, and others.

For more information or to obtain an application packet, please contact LCRA Water Contracts or call 1-800-776-5272, ext. 1535 .