The Pathfinder

Between the sheer sprawl of the Brazos River Basin and the surface area of Brazos River Authority pipelines, you’ll see why Colton Adkins is no stranger to Texas highways and backroads.

As the BRA’s pipeline supervisor, Adkins battles the clock and the odometer, often using that time behind the wheel listening to his favorite podcasts or a Dallas-Fort Worth radio station he streams because he hasn’t found a local frequency that hits quite the same.

"From the East Williamson County Treatment Plant in Taylor to Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant in Leander, that’s a long way,” Adkins said. “To get from one to another is a pretty big difference, and the goal is to be as efficient as possible while getting around to the different locations.”

Adkins grew up in the Lott area in west-central Falls County, always on the lookout for something to disassemble and take a wrench to. He spent his youth taking apart whatever he could (without getting in trouble) to figure out how it operated on the inside.

If he wasn’t breaking something apart, he was trying to build something new.

“I was 13 or 14 when my parents replaced our lawn mower, so I took the old one and tried to turn it into a golf cart,” Adkins said. “I was just looking for something to do, and I liked to build things. I never got it into a golf cart, but I did get the lawn mower down to a bunch of pieces. My parents probably wondered what in the world I was up to.”

In college, Adkins found a degree that allowed him to continue working on machinery, and during a co-op program, he worked in industrial maintenance at the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, introducing him to a whole new environment.

After he graduated in 2014, he remembered an instructor having said good things about the Lower Colorado River Authority. So, when he began his job hunt, he included a wide net for all river authorities and came upon a pipeline technician position at the Brazos River Authority.

At the time he was hired, the BRA was maintaining the Brushy Creek Regional Wastewater System in Williamson County. His first several months were spent checking manholes on the collection system. But the city of Round Rock resumed operations of the plant system in 2018.

Now, he works to maintain and operate the BRA’s pipelines around the Central Basin.

Many think the BRA owns and operates only its three water supply reservoirs, but conveying water where it’s needed is another major role for the organization.

The BRA operates two pipeline systems that transport water from reservoir storage to areas where it is needed.

The Williamson County Regional Water Line carries raw water from Lake Stillhouse Hollow to Lake Georgetown, serving the residents of Georgetown, Round Rock, and the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District.

The East Williamson County Water Transmission Line moves water supply from Lake Granger to a potable water treatment plant. The system supplies treated water to the City of Taylor, the Jonah Water Special Utility District, and the Lone Star Regional Water Authority.

Adkins also works to maintain the Sandy Creek Regional Water Treatment Plant’s 24-inch diameter raw water line. Owned by the city of Leander, the raw water line supplies drinking water from the Colorado River Basin (Lake Travis).

The pipes aren’t twins. They’ve each got their own history.

The East Williamson County treated water pipeline was installed in the 1990s and is the oldest he maintains. It’s about 3.5 miles long, while the Sandy Creek raw water line is less than three miles long. The Williamson County Regional Water Line is a 48-inch diameter raw water line and is about 28 miles long.

“A big thing we do is respond to Texas 811 locate requests,” Adkins said. “We’ll go out there, talk to contractors, and use paint and flags to mark our line so it doesn’t get hit.”

“Accuracy is really important,” he added. “If we’re even a little off, it could damage the line and potentially even cause catastrophic damage.”

Adkins uses handheld locating equipment with a transmitter and receiver that allows him to trace underground pipelines and mark them above ground.

Beyond the pipes themselves, he manages the right-of-way to keep infrastructure safe by clearing overgrowth and coordinating with landowners.

In 2024, Adkins took on a new role as pipeline supervisor. While still boots-on-the-ground, the role now includes balancing fieldwork with meetings and essential paperwork.

“I like this job because one day I might be at the East Williamson County pipeline or at Sandy Creek at Lake Travis,” Adkins said. “I like the change of scenery. Also, there are a lot of good people who work here, and it makes the job that much better.”