Johnson City Mayor Stephanie Fisher, now in her second term, disclosed that 67 of the city's 540 residential single-family water connections are short-term rentals (Airbnbs), as detailed in the latest episode of The Building Texas Show. The episode, titled "Johnson City, Texas Has a Water Crisis Nobody's Talking About," was published May 27, 2026, and hosted by Justin McKenzie. Fisher addressed a groundwater permitting standoff, the short-term rental boom reshaping neighborhoods, and the city's strategy to convert through-traffic on the 290/281 corridor into overnight tourism dollars.
Johnson City, located on the Pedernales River in the Texas Hill Country, cannot tap the river for drinking water due to infrastructure costs. Its sole drinking water source is the Ellenberger Aquifer, a minor aquifer off the Llano Uplift. The city is seeking a pumpage permit increase from the Blanco Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District but faces scrutiny from previous administrative decisions. Fisher noted, "There was some previous administrations that made some decisions. I think they put the cart before the horse, and that's causing us to have some questions asked. And they're just doing their due diligence. I'm glad that our groundwater district is doing what they need to do to make sure that we all have water forever."
The city holds 200 acre-feet of Pedernales River water under an LCRA permit but cannot harvest it without millions in infrastructure. Meanwhile, short-term rentals consume 67 of 540 residential connections, exacerbating housing affordability. Fisher views a boutique or resort-style hotel on the river as a key solution to unlock both housing and tax base. The episode also highlights Johnson City's tourism assets: the Science Mill, the LBJ National Historic Park (including the Texas White House in Stonewall and LBJ's boyhood home), the Old Settlement, the Exotic Resort Zoo, and the annual fair and rodeo weekend.
McKenzie contrasted Johnson City's situation with 100-year water planning efforts in Midland and Lubbock, noting Hill Country communities' dependence on aquifer recharge in 15-year rainfall cycles. The episode is available now on YouTube and wherever podcasts are heard.