Leander residents are raising concerns about a proposed wastewater treatment plant along the San Gabriel River.
The big picture
As part of the Leander Cottages at San Gabriel project, developer HighTen Capital is seeking to build a small-scale wastewater treatment plant near the intersection of CR 270 and Christopher Lane.
If approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the plant could discharge up to 70,000 gallons of processed wastewater per day on an outlined 16.1-acre site within the property.
The details
The proposed wastewater treatment plant would discharge treated water into a subsurface drip dispersal area, meaning the treated wastewater is slowly released into the ground.
According to a permit filed with TCEQ, the water would be discharged into land owned by the developer. Srinivasa Gogineni, president of HighTen Capital, said no water would be discharged into the San Gabriel River and that there is no potential for the drip water to reach the river.
"It's completely on site," Gogineni said.
The waste would be sprayed underground and processed to remove the smell, Gogineni said. A drainage analysis is complete and a full drainage impact analysis is currently in the works, he added.
The treatment plant would be surrounded by a 150-foot buffer zone inside the HighTen property, according to the TCEQ application. Buffer zones of 150 feet and 500 feet would also separate the plant from domestic and public supply wells, respectively.
The setup
The wastewater treatment plant is part of larger plans for a 95-acre subdivision, which involves a proposed new municipal utility district, or MUD—Williamson County MUD 78—but the MUD and wastewater plant have separate TCEQ approval processes. While Gogineni said the number of homes has yet to be finalized, the neighborhood would include roughly 270 to 300 homes.
The neighborhood will also include at least 20 acres of green spaces and parks as a “green buffer," he noted.
Gogineni said the subdivision is pursuing its own small-scale wastewater treatment plant because the city of Leander chose not to annex the development into city limits. The city said it was unable to provide wastewater services for the proposed neighborhood.
Additionally, because the planned development falls within Leander’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ, both the city and the county have little authority under state law to regulate it, including the proposed wastewater treatment plant.
Of note
Palmera Ridge resident Rick Baldwin said he first heard of the project from a neighbor. He said residents have expressed concerns about decreased property values, smells and groundwater contamination.
As of publication time, the TCEQ has received more than a hundred comments. Of these comments, 44 requested a hearing and 48 requested a public meeting.
Gogineni said he went door to door to speak with residents, stating that at that time residents did not cite any concerns or complaints.
Residents can submit comments regarding the proposed treatment plant directly to TCEQ at www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment. The permit identification number is WQ0016914001.
