Where New Braunfels Utilities water comes from and what drought changes

The Edwards Aquifer once supplied all of New Braunfels’ water system, NBU says. The utility added Guadalupe River and Canyon Lake surface water in 1991 and continued to diversify. In the 2025 plan, the Edwards Aquifer accounts for 17% of NBU’s portfolio. That history explains why a customer’s water supply cannot be described simply as Edwards Aquifer water.

What the drought figures mean

NBU measures these amounts in acre-feet per year, abbreviated AFY. It is a measure of water volume over a year; the plan also gives daily gallon equivalents to make the scale easier to compare. The two annual figures answer different questions: the full portfolio describes how much NBU’s sources can provide, while the drought figure describes the amount NBU says remains available when some supplies are curtailed.

NBU describes the drought-available amount as supply that remains after some sources are curtailed.

The 2025 plan projects that drought-available supply will exceed demand for many years, but that is a projection rather than a guarantee about future conditions. It places demand by 2075 between 22,000 and 31,000 acre-feet per year under the scenarios it describes. Customers comparing those figures should keep the projection year and its assumptions in view.

Which projects are still being explored?

The plan also discusses ways NBU could strengthen its supply. It says the utility was testing aquifer storage and recovery near the New Braunfels airport: treated water would be stored underground during lower-demand periods and recovered later. The plan separately lists possible supply alternatives, including more storage wells, additional wholesale purchases, reuse and a new surface water treatment plant. Those alternatives should not be counted as water already in the portfolio merely because the plan discusses them.

Where customers can check next

NBU’s conservation alert showed Stage 2 when checked on October 18, 2026. Customers should use the utility’s current conservation stage page for the latest posted status and watering rules; this guide’s supply figures come from the 2025 plan and do not replace current instructions. The plan lists NBU at 1488 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels, and 830-629-8400 for questions about its water resources.