Despite our best efforts to slow the deal down, request due diligence, and hold SAWS to their promises, the San Antonio City Council voted yesterday to approve the SAWS Vista Ridge Contract. You can read more here. Given that this project will come in from the northeast of San Antonio, whereas the expansion of SAWS brackish water desal project will come in from the south, we suspect that rapid development of the Edwards Aquifer watershed will ensue.
GEAA’s Board President, Ron Green and I met with SAWS Board members and staff this past Wednesday to discuss how we can ensure that the 160,000 new homes that will be supplied by the Vista Ridge pipeline will not be located over the Edwards Watershed. You can view our presentation here. We will keep working with SAWS and City Council to mitigate impacts to low income ratepayers, water conservation, and the Edwards Aquifer watersheds as the deal progresses. Stay tuned for more.
Last night, GEAA joined a full house at the TCEQ hearing on a wastewater permit for The Reserve at Fair Oaks, a new housing development planned to go in over the Edwards Aquifer watershed. Our comments were well received, and we were impressed with the efforts of our friends from Fair Oaks Ranch to insist that a sewage treatment plant proposed to be sited 600’ from the Contributing Zone and a mile upstream of the Cibolo Creek will not pollute the Trinity and Edwards Aquifers. Stay tuned for more on this issue.
Join us this Sunday when GEAA’s Community Solutions fellow, Rose Wamalwa, will present
Have questions about how to vote in upcoming Austin elections? Visit the Austin Eco Network Election Navigator to learn who are the greenest candidates.
The San Marcos River Foundation will have a benefit screening of Yakona, a beautiful film about the San Marcos River, on Saturday, November 8th at 7 p.m. at the Price Center in San Marcos (222 W. San Antonio St.) Admission $10/Adult $5/Children includes free popcorn.
Yakona has now been shown at many film festivals around the U.S. and Canada, and it has won a pile of awards at the festivals. This is your chance to see this beautiful movie on a big screen. Proceeds from tickets sales will be matched 50% by a grant from Kirk Mitchell.
Wishing everyone a happy Halloween, and a great weekend!
Annalisa Peace
Executive Director
Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance
You can always keep up with interesting water news on GEAA's Face Book page
and, you can donate on-line or mail contributions to support GEAA to PO Box 15618, San Antonio, Texas 78212
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