LCRA awards $100,000 grant to City of Leander for improvements to municipal water utility
Enhanced water metering system will benefit customers, aid conservation efforts
AUG. 8, 2025
LEANDER, Texas – A $100,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority will help the City of Leander upgrade its water metering infrastructure, reducing water waste while benefitting customers and helping conserve water from the Highland Lakes.
The grant, provided through LCRA’s Firm Water Conservation Cost-Share program, will assist the city’s water utility in installing new wireless meters that can track its more than 32,000 customers’ water use in real time. Customers will receive alerts through an online portal about high water consumption and potential leaks, making it easier for them to stop water waste quickly and avoid unexpectedly high bills. The utility also will share tips for conserving water through the portal’s dashboard.
The City of Leander will benefit too, as the $9.1 million enhanced metering system will help the city save millions of dollars a year, pinpoint leaks more quickly and eliminate the need for manual meter readings, freeing employees to address other customer concerns. The real-time water use data fed from meters to the utility also will improve long-term planning and trend analyses.
“The Advanced Metering Infrastructure system will greatly improve Leander’s water system management and will be an invaluable asset to our water conservation program,” said Gina Ellison, the city’s executive director of Public Works. “Implementing an AMI system has been a goal of ours for many years because of the benefits it provides to both the city and its residents.”
Like many cities in Central Texas, Leander has seen a surge in population and development in recent years. From 2020 to 2024, Leander’s population increased from 59,202 residents to 87,511, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures.
“The unprecedented growth in Leander makes water management and conservation a priority for us,” Ellison said. “We need the AMI capabilities to help us achieve our goal of optimizing our water system operations.”
The project is expected to be completed in the next 12 to 18 months and will save about 214 acre-feet – or roughly 70 million gallons – of water annually. The city expects to save about $16 million a year with the new system in place.
“We are incredibly grateful to receive this grant,” Ellison said. “It not only supports a vital project but also frees up local funds that can now be redirected to other important initiatives across the city. It has a ripple effect, allowing us to do more for our community with the resources we have.”
John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of Water, said LCRA strongly supports the City of Leander’s efforts to increase water conservation.
“Using new technology to reduce water waste and benefit utility customers checks two boxes,” Hofmann said. “The grant helps the City of Leander save money while it’s saving water, which makes this a worthwhile project.”
The cost-share grants are awarded through LCRA’s Firm Water Conservation Cost-Share Program, which provides funding for water efficiency projects and programs established by LCRA’s firm water customers, including cities, utilities, industries and irrigation and recreational water users. Eligible projects must help reduce or maximize the efficient use of surface water, including water loss reduction efforts, equipment efficiency upgrades, conversion of irrigated areas from raw or potable water use to recycled water, and emerging technology projects focused on education, outreach or technology advancements. Learn more at www.WaterSmart.org.
LCRA also offers residential rebates to help offset the cost of upgrading irrigation systems, maintaining landscapes and pools, converting turf to drought-tolerant landscapes, and soil testing. See www.WaterSmart.org/rebates for more information.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.
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