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After reading over numerous articles about hazardous waste collection in Lakeway, TX; I can see why the city has decided to make some changes. It’s been a long time coming for so many residents that have been living in the Lakeway area. Here’s to hoping that waiting in lines are in the past!

Starting with the earliest development in Lakeway in 1971; when there were 300 homes, and 1,000 acres had been developed. Now with the population at 11,830 (taken from Census 2011) it is clear there is an eminent need for hazardous waste collection in Lakeway. The City began providing local collection of household hazardous waste (HHW) in 2003. Each year, the City of Lakeway plans a special event for their residents who have hazardous waste to dispose of. If you are unable to wait for their local annual Household Hazardous Waste Event, you would have to drop off your items at the City of Austin & Travis County Household Hazardous Waste Facility.

In the past the city has been able to handle the collection; well not this year in May lines of vehicles was overwhelming. They had to immediately take notice of the rising demand, and Lakeway officials turned cars away at an increasingly cost-prohibitive annual event. The event served 677 vehicles this year, 545 in 2011, 730 vehicles in 2010.

In early July the Lakeway Municipal Utility District agreed to lease a half-acre of its cedar tract on Stewart Road to Lakeway for a recycling center. Lakeway put $40,000 into the pot and secured a $45,000 Capital Area Council of Governments grant and $50,000 in funding from Water Control Improvement District No. 17 and $10,000 from The Hills and Hurst Creek MUD. Bee Cave and the Lower Colorado River Authority may contribute funds for the construction cost that is estimated at $180,000 for a 1,800 square foot building.

LMUD board member Jerry Hietpas advocated for a full-service collection facility that would allow residents to make one drop off rather than traveling to multiple locations to recycle their household goods.

“Lakeway is about first class, and your plan is not first class,” Hietpas declared to Lakeway finance director Julie Oakley during her presentation to the LMUD board. “Is there any reason why you are backsliding here on the amount of service that’s been provided in the past? What does it take to do a full-service?”

Under the proposed plan, the collection events would accept household cleaning, paint and auto products from residents and customers who live in the partnership’s service areas, but would not take electronics or paper products and would not shred paper.

The city is still open to other ideas but at the moment this is where it sits, Lakeway should finally have one local place to dump their hazardous materials.

Visit our website on how to Recycle Construction Materials!

Research from this article taken from: City of Lakeway , Lake Travis View, and Travis County agenda notes.