Latest News
EarthShare Texas and H-E-B Tear-pad Campaign support GEAA
GEAA is pleased to announce that H-E-B has selected EarthShare of Texas to be the beneficiary of its in-store coupon promotion for April, in recognition of Earth Day. This means that customers can tear off and add check-out coupons worth $1, $3, or $5 to their total bill. H-E-B has supported many EarthShare of Texas organizations with corporate grants or in-kind contributions. The April tear-pad promotion enables H-E-B customers to support the program work of Earth Share of Texas organizations. GEAA will benefit, because the contributions will be divided among EarthShare of Texas organizations with program work in Central Texas. Look
Reliant Energy Supports GEAA through Carbon Offset Campaign Year Three
GEAA is pleased to announce the third year of The Reliant EcoShareSM, a way that Texans can support GEAA and offset their own carbon production at the same time. Reliant and EarthShare of Texas have launched a program that allows Reliant customers to help reduce their carbon footprints through the purchase of carbon offsets. And for each customer-purchased offset, Reliant will make a contribution to EarthShare of Texas and its participating organizations. As an EarthShare of Texas participating organization, GEAA will benefit from this program. For more information, follow this link to the EarthShare of Texas website http://www.earthshare-texas.org/2012/02/the-reliant-ecosharesm-program-supports-texas.html or go directly
Xeriscaping Bills will conserve Texas Water
Dear GEAA members and friends, In today’s news are two excellent bills that GEAA is pleased to endorse. Senate Bill 198 and House Bill 449, by Sen. Kirk Watson and Rep. Dawnna Dukes would prevent Home Owners Associations (HOA’s) from restricting xeriscaping. It’s an issue that has received rising attention as the drought continues. Thanks and a tip of the hat to now SAWS President and CEO Robert Puente for filing similar bills during his past life as a State Representative. Read more here. GEAA is looking for support in the form of witnesses who would be able to testify about
If you can’t see it, does that mean it’s not there?
Dear GEAA members and friends, Heads up on bad bill filed last Friday: H.B. 824 – Callegari would triple the volume of sewage spills that require reporting from the current 500 gallons to 1,500 gallons. It would also exempt from reporting a spill that “does not reach waters of the State”. We read this to mean that many spills occurring in the Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone and the recharge and contributing zones of the Trinity aquifers would be exempt from reporting. The bill also gives the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) more latitude in determining which spills are considered harmful
Using “Rainy Day” Funds for Water Conservation a Great Idea!
The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) endorses the position stated jointly by the Lone Star Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation – Meeting Texas Water Needs. Recognizing the need for Texans to address our water needs, GEAA supports Representative Ritter’s HB 4 and HB 11 authorizing a one-time allocation of $2 billion from the State’s “Rainy Day” funds to capitalize a new, dedicated revolving fund for use in financing water projects in the State Water Plan. HB 4 especially recognizes two very important principles that the environmental community and others have flagged as critical to our water future: the need
House Committee Recommends Keeping the Status Quo
The Interim Report of the House Committee on Land and Resource Management has some overall good news in regards to what might or might not come up during the 83rd session. Among other charges, the committee was directed to “Examine current regulatory authority available to municipalities in their extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ)” and to “Make necessary legislative recommendations to ensure a proper balance between development activities and municipal regulations.” We had dreaded the prospect that two bills filed last session that would have prohibited Texas cities from enforcing tree ordinances in their ETJ’s would be refilled this session. The interim report stated

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

New GEAA Member Group Comfort Neighbors, holdong second Town Hall meeting on Saturday, January 25th, 2025 at 2pm to organize opposition to Lennar’s Comfort 590 development.
The meeting will take place at the The Lobby Coffee Shop 523 Seveth St. Comfort, TX. If you are unable to attend but would like

Scenic Loop Helotes Creek Alliance holding a meeting and Million Gallon March to demonstrate oppostition to Lennar’s Guajolote development in Grey Forest. SUNDAY FEB. 2nd 2025!!!
On Sunday, February 2nd 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.