In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, Marble Falls Mayor John Packer laid out an ambitious vision for the city's water future, emphasizing direct potable reuse as a critical strategy for managing growth and drought in the Texas Hill Country. The episode, titled "Marble Falls, TX: Close Enough to Austin, Far Enough Away," was published May 26, 2026, and features host Justin McKenzie in conversation with Packer, recorded lakeside with construction underway in the background.
Packer, a small business owner of more than 20 years and a returning mayor after a four-year break, framed water as the defining issue for Texas cities. With drought pressure mounting west of the dry line, he made the case that direct potable reuse is not optional for Texas's future. "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," Packer told McKenzie. He acknowledged the concept "makes people cringe a little bit," but insisted, "it's the future."
The city's three-pronged water plan combines Highland Lakes surface water, a newly purchased well water system, and direct potable reuse from a relocated wastewater plant. This approach is part of a broader strategy to navigate Central Texas growth, aging 1950s-era infrastructure, and increasing water demand. The conversation also surfaced operational realities behind growth, including how the July 4th flooding turned Lake Marble Falls into "chocolate milk," quadrupling treatment cycle times for weeks.
Beyond water, the episode covered a wide span of city-building topics. A new lakefront hotel conference center is now under construction, connecting Main Street shops and restaurants to Lake Marble Falls. The Economic Development Corporation strategy largely avoids financial incentive packages and focuses on business retention and facade grants. Coordination with TxDOT, LCRA, TCEQ, and the county on the 281 and 1431 intersection and the Highway 71 corridor is underway. Packer noted 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.
Quality-of-life investments were also highlighted, including 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. The Marble Falls episode is available now on YouTube and wherever podcasts are heard.
