Direct Discharge vs Re-use and Conservation
Recent News
February 7, 2010
PLTA opposes discharge into Lake Travis
The latest Protect Lake Travis Association newsletter follows Lake Travis issues such as a proposed discharge permit in Burnet, why it is being protested and the LCRA Water resource planning process. Read more
January 25, 2010
Burnet’s wastewater treatment plant - threats to Lake Travis
The city is planning for a new plant with more than twice the discharge into Hamilton Creek (and Lake Travis). One reader’s comments question the cost and the logic there are excellent models for beneficial re-use and smarter more responsible solutions. More...
December 30, 2009
TCEQ public hearing this Thursday, Jan 4th at 7pm – Wastewater discharge into Lake Travis
The Protect Lake Travis Association newsletter covers all the details. Concerned landowners, lake business owners and residents should attend and make comments. Read more here.
December 16, 2009
Protecting Lake Travis
PLTA is an all volunteer, very effective organization working for a healthy Lake Travis. Read their latest newsletter which provides updates about the threats of discharge into the Highland Lakes. Join PLTA and have stronger voice with TCEQ, LCRA and the municipalities around the lake. Click here for the latest newsletter.
December 10, 2009
Burnet told to expect Austin opposition over wastewater facility and discharge plans
Burnet city council members were told Tuesday to be prepared for stiff opposition from the city of Austin in an attempt to stop Burnet’s attempt to win a permit to build a new wastewater treatment plant and sewage facility and the right to dramatically increase the amount of wastewater it can discharge into Hamilton Creek. read full Highlander article here.
October 31, 2009
Opposition from many jurisdictions link up against discharge into the Highland Lakes.
Read the latest from PLTA here.
October 28, 2009
Travis County Opposes TCEQ Wastewater Plan
On Tuesday, Oct. 27th, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a resolution opposing the lifting of the current ban on discharging treated wastewater effluent into the Highland Lakes (copy of their resolution found here). Read full PLTA article here. Read Fox Austin News article here.
October 26, 2009
Lake Travis Wastewater Effluent Discharge Updates
Citizens around the Highland Lakes, particularly Lake Travis are extremely concerned about the possibility of wastewater discharge being allowed into these reservoirs. The Protect Lake Travis Association is working overtime on this issue. Read the latest news from PLTA here. Now is the time to speak up and be involved.
October 12, 2009
TCEQ Wastewater Quality Limits Are Too Lax
Protect Lake Travis Association continues to educate residents regarding the immediate threat of sewage effluent being discharged into Lake Travis and upstream. Comments are due October 30th. This is the time to speak up and contact your local elected officials. Read more here.
October 3, 2009
Sanchez: Water shortage flush with cause for major concern
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a personal visit is priceless. Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan store and supply drinking water for many Central Texans and are only 39 percent full. A pessimist would say the glass is 61 percent empty. Read full Statesman.com commentary here.
October 1, 2009
TCEQ ignores stakeholder’s recommendations for Edwards Aquifer rule on Direct Discharge Permits
Imagine the Hill Country stream near you with a wastewater treatment plant dumping treated effluent into it. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality identified a stakeholders committee to review and comment on wastewater discharge rules for the Barton and Onion Creek watersheds of the Edwards Aquifer. This came after the much debated Belterra permit application which was granted in spite of multi-jurisdiction united opposition. The stakeholder’s committee says don’t do it, but TCEQ seems to be moving ahead with a proposed new rule to make direct discharge permits in this fragile region okay. Read more here.
August 20, 2009
An argument for the TCEQ ‘no-discharge’ rule
There is nothing like a long, serious drought to make us really appreciate the wonderful asset that is Lake Travis. And while we all worry about when the rains and water will return, there is one thing we have not had to worry about in a very long time – the threat of pollution in the form of sewage effluent discharged into Lake Travis and upstream. Read full North Lake Travis Log Op-ed here.
Read News on Discharge Threats in the Hill Country and Find Upcoming Events.
Some helpful documents:
Letter of opposition to Highland Lakes discharge - By State Representatives' Naishtat, Dukes, Rodriquez and Howard
Direct Discharge Opposition Resolution - BSEACD Resolution opposing direct discharge of effluent into the contributing zone of the Barton Segment of the Edwards Aquifer
Direct Discharge Threats - General Threats to water quality from domestic wastewater discharges in the Texas Hill Country
Neighbor to Neighbor - Neighbor to Neigbor - In 2006, HCA and numerous groups began alerting citizens about the issue of the first direct discharge permit proposed in the Barton Springs recharge zone. This educational piece was created to inform citizens about the consequences and facts of this issue.
New Approaches in Decentralized Water Infrastructure - Decentralized vs. Centralized Systems
Petition for Rulemaking - Leander and Granite Shoals request a rule change to allow discharge into the Highland Lakes
Petition for Rulemaking - Petition to prohibit direct discharge into Barton Creek and Onion Creek Watersheds of the Edwards Aquifer, September 2008.
Belterra Algae Study - Potential Impacts of Hays County WCID No. 1 Proposed Wastewater Discharge on the Algae Communities of Bear Creek and Barton Springs. Study by the City of Austin in 2006
LCRA Comments - LCRA comments regarding Highland Lakes direct discharge permitting, October 30th, 2009
Smaller Scale, Bigger Concept - Smaller Scale, Bigger Concept - the decentralized wastewater system, a paper by David Venhuizen
Some helpful links:
A look at Hill Country development and watershed policy
A look at the methods used to dispose of development effluent
The story of the Belterra development
The LCRA looks into water and wastewater rates
An update on the LCRA's water and wasterwater plans
Landowners outside of Atlanta also fighting development and sprawl
"Yellow is the New Green"
The New York Times looks at how direct discharge of wastewater into our streams, rivers and creeks could lead to some changes in our bathrooms.
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