Marble Falls Mayor Bets on Toilet-to-Tap Water Reuse as Texas Hill Country Booms

The latest episode of The Building Texas Show, titled Marble Falls, TX: Close Enough to Austin, Far Enough Away, published May 26, 2026, features host Justin McKenzie in conversation with Marble Falls Mayor John Packer. Recorded lakeside with construction underway in the background, the episode digs into how a small Hill Country city on Highway 281 is navigating Central Texas growth, aging 1950s-era infrastructure, and one of the most ambitious water recycling plans in the region. With drought pressure mounting west of the dry line, Packer makes the case that direct potable reuse is not optional for Texas's future.

McKenzie and Packer cover a wide span of city-building topics drawn directly from Marble Falls' current agenda:

• A new lakefront hotel conference center now under construction, connecting Main Street shops and restaurants to Lake Marble Falls
• An Economic Development Corporation strategy that largely avoids financial incentive packages and focuses on business retention and facade grants
• A three-pronged water plan combining Highland Lakes surface water, a newly purchased well water system, and direct potable reuse from a relocated wastewater plant
• Coordination with TxDOT, LCRA, TCEQ, and the county on the 281 and 1431 intersection and the Highway 71 corridor

Packer, a small business owner of more than 20 years and a returning mayor after a four-year break, frames water as the defining issue for Texas cities. On the proposed reuse system, he tells McKenzie: "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 acknowledges the concept "makes people cringe a little bit," but insists, "it's the future."

The conversation also surfaces the operational realities behind growth. Packer recounts how the July 4th flooding turned Lake Marble Falls into "chocolate milk," quadrupling treatment cycle times for weeks. He explains that more than 35,000 vehicles cross through town daily on 281, a route stretching from Mexico to the northern United States, yet traffic nearly vanishes after 7 p.m., complicating TxDOT funding cases. Packer also highlights quality-of-life investments: 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.

About The Building Texas Show

The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, travels the state interviewing the mayors, business owners, and civic leaders shaping Texas communities. Each episode highlights the people and projects building the future of Texas, from small Hill Country towns to major metros. We always shoutout our favorite Texas brand, Chisos Boots. The Marble Falls episode is available now on YouTube and wherever podcasts are heard.