San Marcos asks Guadalupe County to address health hazards in Redwood, Rancho Vista

Amanda Hernandez, San Marcos Planning & Development Services director, noted that though the city received a number of emails in opposition to the development being in the location, the city already has a development agreement in place, and staff was only talking about amendments to the agreement.

“We know that this development will happen, we know that it’s in the works,” Ibarra said. “We just ask that you please take into consideration our residents, our people, take their health into your thoughts as you really consider whether or not this development should move forward with these [code amendments].”

Following previous public comment about the situation, the City Council directed staff to create a resolution March 18 and adopted it April 1.

“In my opinion, it’s shameful that the county this neighborhood is in doesn’t step up," council member Matthew Mendoza said in the March 4 meeting.

As of April 14, Guadalupe County did not respond to Community Impact's request for a comment on the resolution.

Mayor Jane Hughson clarified that the two communities are located in Guadalupe County, not Hays County, therefore neither the city of San Marcos or Hays County can do anything to help the communities.

Mendoza said he wants the two communities to eventually get annexed into San Marcos.

The details

In 2020, the UT and Baylor Medicine study was published on the prevalence of intestinal parasites in a low-income Texas community. Referred to as “Community A” in the study, this unincorporated area is located in Guadalupe County and was later identified by residents and the resolution as the Rancho Vista community.

Rancho Vista and a neighboring community, identified as Redwood, originally approached UT for help collecting data to apply for sanitation grants, according to the study.

According to the study, an unnamed 2010 survey indicated that 98% of households in the Redwood and Rancho Vista communities relied on septic tanks, though 44% of those systems failed despite professional installation.

The 2020 study focused on the roundworm parasite Strongyloides stercoralis, which causes strongyloidiasis and can lead to symptoms like stomachaches, diarrhea and rashes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While many infected individuals may show no symptoms, those with weakened immune systems are at risk of severe illness or death if untreated.

The study tested 92 households between March and July 2018, collecting stool and blood samples from 404 individuals. Of the 97 blood samples, 16 were "seroreactive," indicating past infection with S. stercoralis. Four of these cases were children, and one was a pregnant woman.

The parasite, which thrives in warm climates and areas with poor sanitation, can enter the body through the skin, such as when walking barefoot on contaminated soil, according to Cleveland Clinic.

In addition to testing for S. stercoralis, 43 residents provided stool samples that were tested for various infections. Twenty-seven tested positive for Blastocystis, and one for Giardia lamblia, both of which are parasites associated with poor sanitation, according to the CDC.

Blastocystis causes abdominal pain and diarrhea, while Giardia can lead to fatigue, nausea, and dehydration, according to the CDC. These infections are often spread through contaminated water or food, exacerbated by overflowing septic systems.

What’s next

On April 9, the Guadalupe County public information officer said the county was not aware of any resolution related to the two communities. Community Impact provided a copy of the resolution in response but has not received additional comments.

The resolution is not binding as the city has no authority over the county, so there are no mandated next steps. The Riverbend Ranch-Baugh Ranch-Riley’s Point Subdivision development will continue moving forward with the updated requirements.