The City of Austin is considering spending $1.3 million on a piping system designed to manage leachate at one of the city’s former landfills. Leachate—sometimes informally called “trash juice”—forms when water moves through buried waste and picks up contaminants. Without proper collection and control, that polluted water can threaten surrounding soil and waterways. The city’s recommendation is aimed at protecting the former landfill by directing the contaminated water through a dedicated pipe system. The proposal was reported Sept. 23, 2026, but the available information does not identify the landfill’s location, provide a construction schedule or indicate whether the City Council has approved the spending. The project would represent a significant public investment in managing environmental liabilities left by older waste-disposal sites. Former landfills can continue producing leachate long after they stop accepting trash, making monitoring and containment an ongoing responsibility for local governments.