Tag: treated wastewater

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Village at Grape Creek

Recently, we learned of a new development. The location of this development is Jenschke Lane and 290 appox. It looks like it will have an entrance on Hwy 290 that will be west of the museum.

Current plans call for 185 lots. Some will be small homes, some tiny homes and some single room cabins (simulated hotel rooms/small cabins with bed and bath) for overnight stays. 

Our concern at the Pedernales River Alliance is that they are requesting a permit to discharge 20,000 gallons of treated wastewater (sewage) into “an unnamed tributary” of the Pedernales River.  Peak flow may be as great as 50,000 gallons/day (attachment 5 in the application.) 

The application for this permit is available for review at the Library in Fredericksburg. It is at the reference desk and you have to ask to see it. The librarian has it. You can take it to a table and read it and you may copy it  or any portion of it, if you choose. Or you can read it online at Village at Grape Creek Permit Application.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the state entity that will approve/disapprove the permit.

You can make comments citing why dumping 20-50,000 gallons into a dry creek bed that will eventually flow into into the Pedernales is not a great idea. Specifically, they may be dumping into a dry creek bed but it will sit in that dry creek bed, evaporate, accumulate, and, when it rains, this concentrate will be washed into the Pedernales.

If you grew up along this creek your comments are especially valuable. Tell TCEQ what this little tributary meant to you growing up.

In addition to voicing your opinion about this development, you may also ask questions about the following topics and more:

    • Flooding – Is the development on the flood plain?
    • Flooding – Is the development on the 100 year flood plain?
    • Where will runoff be directed when it rains?
    • What will the impact be on adjacent wetlands (See the Fema map @ https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search?AddressQuery=-98.7094%2030.21314) ?
    • Will there be a traffic light installed on Hwy 290?
    • Will the developer be required to install lighting supportive of Dark Skies?
    • Will the developer be required to preserve trees already existing on the land?
    • Will the developer be required to restore the understory that has been cleared from the creek banks?
    • Will streets and sidewalks in the development be permeable?
    • Will dumping treated sewage into the creekbed smell?
    • Will it be safe for children to play in the creekbed where the treated sewage will be dumped?
    • Where will water come from for this subdivision and will it affect my well? 
    • What will be done to ensure emergency vehicles can enter/depart the development without hindrance?
The URL for making comments is https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/  and you will need to enter the wastewater permit application number which is WQ0016363001.
 
After entering the permit application number, please take note of the information just below about receiving an email from TCEQ acknowledging receipt of your comments. 
 
You will also be asked for your name, address, phone and email; It is recommended that you type out your comments and questions about the wastewater permit beforehand so that all you have to do is copy/paste.
 
Important: Be sure to ask for a public hearing on this request, especially if you live adjacent to the development or the dry creek. See information on how to do this at https://www.pedernalesriveralliance.org/village-at-grape-creek-request-for-a-public-hearing/
 
Once all is done, proofread and hit the Submit button. If you do not receive an email from TCEQ acknowledging receipt of your comments within an hour, go back and re-enter your comments. 
 
Thank-you for submitting your comments and questions to TCEQ. The more who do so, the more impact all the comments and questions will have.
 
 
 
 
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What’s a Watershed?

A watershed is a system, land that drains rain and melting snow to creeks and then rivers and eventually, the ocean. Most of us here in Gillespie County live in the Pedernales River Watershed. Near the headwaters of the Pedernales are two areas of land where water drains to a creek and each land area draining to each creek is a watershed. One creek is called the Klein Branch and the other is called the Banta Branch. These two creeks join together and become the Pedernales River. As the Pedernales River flows eastward, there are many more creeks that feed into it. Each of these creeks is a sub-watershed of the Pedernales River Watershed.

The Pedernales River Watershed extends into Blanco County and then on to Travis County, where you will find the mouth of the river at Lake Travis which was formed by damming the Colorado River. The Pedernales River is a sub-watershed of the Colorado River.

Now, pull out a map and trace along the route of the Pedernales River and you can easily see how many communities depend upon this river for water. Ultimately, even Austin depends, in part, upon our River as does a state park, an LCRA park, a national park and numerous county and private parks. These are very good reasons for keeping our River clean.

The kinds of things that can adversely affect our River’s water quality include runoff, littering, excess fertilizer, and malfunctioning sewage systems.

Fast flow of water draining to Grape Creek
Fast flow of water draining to Grape Creek

Runoff includes sediment. Who knew dirt could be a form of pollution? Weird but true. When dirt is washed into the river from large construction sites, it’s just too much of a good thing.

Littering is an easily preventable source of pollution – just don’t do it! And even if you did not, go ahead and pick it up anyway. That’s called being a good citizen. Litter can get into drainage systems and ultimately affect the health of the river.

 

Excess fertilizer can wash out of your yard, into the drainage system, into the creek and on to the river. It can wash out of farms, too. This is called non-point pollution because we cannot always pinpoint where it comes from but you can be sure that when the river is choked with thick, green algae, fertilizer might just be the source. The solution? Plant native plants that love the sandy loam and clay soil around here and you won’t have to fertilize. Put in native grasses instead of turf grasses that need to be fertilized and watered to be pretty.

Baron's Creek below the Sewage Treatment Facility Outfall
Baron’s Creek below the Sewage Treatment Facility Outfall

A big source of pollution is malfunctioning sewage systems. Reality check, we need our septic tanks! But we CAN make sure they are working correctly. If the grass over your septic tank and drain field is nice and green, your septic system may be leaking. A septic system’s drain field that is working properly usually looks pretty rough. Investigate to find out what is making your grass so unexpectedly and beautifully green.

Another source of pollution comes from treated wastewater. Sewage treatment facilities clean sewage and then release the cleaned water into creeks and rivers. The only problem with that is a huge problem: the water contains phospates and nitrogen, the same nutrients in fertilizer. Algae love it and a creek of river contaminated with treated wastewater will become clogged with green algae in short order. The correction to this is to clean wastewater to make it potable or to use the treated wastewater to water golf courses, lawns, and other non-food sources.

Bottom line, the Pedernales River watershed is a system that includes you. Doing your part to keep the Pedernales River Watershed clean will help keep our River clean.