GEAA asks Legislature to Take Action to Protect Water & the Hill Country

When: Wednesday, January 14th at 1:30 p.m.

Where: on the South Steps of the State Capitol

What: Leaders of the 45 member groups of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (representing 25,000 Texans in 19 Counties) go to the State Capitol to advocate their legislative agenda.

Citizens from throughout the Texas Hill Country are concerned about the impacts of high-density development on our water resources – both in terms of the quantity of water available and the quality of our groundwater. The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA), working with our member and the region’s elected officials has crafted a legislative agenda that includes:

• Expand authority for Hill Country counties, including buffer zones between incompatible uses. GEAA supports the legislative draft advocated by the Hill Country County Commissioners group and encourages Bexar and Travis Counties to offer their support as well.
• Prohibit treated sewage effluent discharge into Edwards Aquifer waterways. Legislation being filed by State Representative David Leibowitz prohibits permits authorizing the discharge of sewage effluent directly into any water of the Contributing or Recharge Zones of the San Antonio or Barton Springs segments of the Edwards Aquifer.
• Invest in clean water by using proceeds of the federal stimulus for green infrastructure and requiring the state to assess the penalties of water polluters that at a minimum recover the economic benefit of noncompliance. Make improvements to sewage treatment facilities and sewage mains a high priority for Federal stimulus funding.
• Reform the Texas Department of Transportation in the sunset review process to promote a comprehensive and environmentally sound state transportation policy. GEAA supports transportation systems that protect rural values and avoid habitat fragmentation.
• Provide Authority and Resources to Hill Country Groundwater Management Districts that will enable them to effectively manage scarce water resources.
• Give municipal and county governments the ability to assess Impact Fees on new development adequate to pay for the cost of new and additional infrastructure required by new growth.