In January 2016, the city and the GBRA applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for an amendment to a state permit that would allow them to increase the discharge of treated domestic wastewater from 1.5 million gallons per day to 3.5 gallons per day. The discharge takes place at a facility located at 575 County Road 236, Hays County.
According to city documents, several reviews have preliminarily determined the action would not impair water quality, but residents who live near the facility still have concerns about how the water increase will affect their land.
Susan Meckel, whose family owns property downstream of the water treatment facility, spoke during the public hearing.
“We have been impacted by the current wastewater discharge, but we are also actively working with the city to address some concerns that we have for the increased flow that [we believe] might also [affect] water quality and erosion issues that we have on our property,” Meckel said.
Meckel said she believes landowners and the city will be able to come to an “amicable” agreement. The TCEQ will continue with the permitting process and take what residents said into account, a representative at the meeting said.
