Latest News

Neighbors angrily reject proposed 5,000-seat amphitheater due to environmental concerns
Austin American-Statesman Bianca Moreno-Paz Jan. 30, 2024 Mike Clifford GEAA Technical Director spoke tenaciously at the meeting, expressing concerns that the permit, if granted, would be among the laxest ever approved by the TCEQ. The permit would not require the removal of nitrogen or phosphorus, which can cause lethal algae blooms, and would have limited requirements for E. coli testing. He said the pollution limits set by the TCEQ are four times what they should be for a 30-acre development. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2024/01/30/austin-amphitheater-environment-wastewater-tceq-fitzhugh-neighbors/72389648007/

Northwest Bexar County residents fight to stop waste water from being dumped near Edwards Aquifer
KSAT NEWS Reporter Patty Santos Jan. 29, 2024 GEAA Executive Director Annalisa Peace tells KSAT news about her concerns that if passed this permit could ruin San Antonio’s drinking water. This area https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/01/30/northwest-bexar-county-residents-fight-to-stop-waste-water-from-being-dumped-near-edwards-aquifer/

Residents, groups fight plan to dump wastewater into Hill Country waterway
Express News by Ricardo Delgado Jan. 11 2024 GEAA is very concerned about the level of phosphorus that could be discharged into Hondo Creek if regulators agree to a plant that would release 300,000 gallons of treated wastewater per day into Hondo Creek. https://www.expressnews.com/hill-country/article/tceq-hondo-medina-county-wastewater-treatment-plan-18600893.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXhwcmVzc25ld3MuY29tL2hpbGwtY291bnRyeS9hcnRpY2xlL3RjZXEtaG9uZG8tbWVkaW5hLWNvdW50eS13YXN0ZXdhdGVyLXRyZWF0bWVudC1wbGFuLTE4NjAwODkzLnBocA%3D%3D&time=MTcwNTA3NjIzMTQyMw%3D%3D&rid=N2VjNTJhNmMtNzEzYy00YWY1LTgyMTQtYTYyOTVlMWJiYmI3&sharecount=MQ%3D%3D

Opponents challenge wastewater plans for Hays County concert venue
Express News Jan 9, 2024 By Liz Teitz. Written comments stated by the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance: “The Fitzhugh music venue, as currently proposed, would likely degrade Barton Creek and local groundwater quality in violation of the Clean Water Act and state law through treated sewage and stormwater runoff.” https://www.expressnews.com/hill-country/article/dripping-springs-concert-venue-wastewater-18596208.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXhwcmVzc25ld3MuY29tL2hpbGwtY291bnRyeS9hcnRpY2xlL2RyaXBwaW5nLXNwcmluZ3MtY29uY2VydC12ZW51ZS13YXN0ZXdhdGVyLTE4NTk2MjA4LnBocA%3D%3D&time=MTcwNDgzMTQ5OTU0MA%3D%3D&rid=NGRhMDUzZjgtNTAwNS00YTQ3LWE2YTgtYTkyYjljNzczMWYx&sharecount=Mg%3D%3D

Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer declares Stage 4 exceptional drought
By Carissa Lehmkuhl PublishedDecember 15, 2023 5:19PM Weather FOX 7 Austin As quoted by GEAA Executive Director Annallisa Peace, “The news of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District declaring a stage four exceptional drought (the first time in its 36-year history) is quite dismaying. The Barton Springs segment is a much smaller pool of groundwater than the San Antonio segment. Cyclical droughts coupled with the rapid growth in that area point to a real need to conserve water and, perhaps consider restricting population growth to what local water resources can support.” https://www.fox7austin.com/news/barton-springs-edwards-aquifer-declares-stage-4-exceptional-drought

How new legislation and growth threaten Edwards Aquifer
By Annalisa Peace,For the Express-News Nov 27, 2023 GEAA Under a new state law, those who own property in the extraterritorial jurisdiction, where most of the development in our region is occurring, can forgo compliance with municipal regulations. San Antonio should join the fight against this new law. https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/commentary/article/water-texas-edwards-aquifer-san-antonio-18509338.php?utm_content=hed&sid=5936c55d3f92a45314ebbfdb&ss=P&st_rid=null&utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_term=headlines&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXhwcmVzc25ld3MuY29tL29waW5pb24vY29tbWVudGFyeS9hcnRpY2xlL3dhdGVyLXRleGFzLWVkd2FyZHMtYXF1aWZlci1zYW4tYW50b25pby0xODUwOTMzOC5waHA%3D&time=MTcwMTExNzAzOTMwMw%3D%3D&rid=NGRhMDUzZjgtNTAwNS00YTQ3LWE2YTgtYTkyYjljNzczMWYx&sharecount=MA%3D%3D

Protecting Edwards Aquifer requires higher standard at Hill Country development
By Express-News Editorial Board,Opinion Staff Feb 14, 2025 For more than two years, private and public stakeholders — including the city of San Antonio, Metropolitan Health

Water nonprofit report explores solutions to water crisis, housing affordability
by: Marisa Nunez KXANFeb 10, 2025 / 04:34 PM CST https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/water-nonprofit-report-explores-solutions-to-water-crisis-despite-housing-affordability-concerns The report written by GEAA’s Policy Director Rachel Hanes, recommends Texas legislators support both long-term

Newly released report from GEAA Policy Director Rachel Hanes: “Water for Residents: Ensuring housing solutions do not worsen the water crisis in the Edwards and Trinity aquifer region,”
More below from Chad Swiatecki Austin Monitor Thursday, February 6, 2025

Hundreds turned out for the Scenic Loop Helotes Creek Alliance’s Million Gallon March to demonstrate oppostition to Lennar’s Guajolote development in Grey Forest on Sunday Feb. 2nd 2025.
The march hosted by Scenic Loop Helotes Creek Alliance was meant to demonstrate the million gallons per day of sewage effluent that will flow into Helotes Creek

Million Gallon March- Sunday Feb. 2nd 2-4pm
The Scenic Loop Helotes Creek Alliance is holding a meeting and Million Gallon March to demonstrate opposition to Lennar’s Guajolote development in Grey Forest.

Lennar Homes faces backlash over sewage discharge plans in the Hill Country
By Zachary-Taylor Wright MySA Jan. 24, 2025. The builder wants to discharge 600,000 gallons a day of treated water into creeks https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/wastewater-dumping-texas-hill-country-20041291.php