Hays County homeowners, envinronmental groups fight waterwater treatement plant on Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone.

By: Jenni Lee KVUE Defenders Reportor 7-17-24

During an interview with KVUE News in Austin, GEAA’s Technical Director Mike Clifford shares concerns regarding Milestone Community Builders, an Austin developer who plans to build a wastewater treatment plant near FM 1626 and State Highway 45. The plant would serve the builder’s proposed Hays Commons Development, a residential and commercial proposal that sits on 500-plus acres of land. 

“They’re going to be irrigating treated sewage over the recharge zone where we are here. And when you do that … if the soils aren’t thick enough, it will just leach down into the aquifer,” Clifford said. 

Watch the full story here.

Clifford also attended the July 16th TCEQ Public Meeting on the Hays Commons Development where he alongside Hays community members shared concerns about what could potentially be the first TLAP application granted over the recharge zone- a potentially bad precendent if Milsteone gets this permit and opens a door to TLAP permits all over the recharge zone!

To send the message home, the meeting video here ends with a tune from a concerned citizen reminding the TCEQ of how we need them to remember what is beneath our our feet and in our faucets!