Both the City of Helotes and Bexar County state Rep. Mark Dorazio have joined local residents in opposing the construction of a wastewater plant that would dump millions of gallons of treated effluent into Helotes Creek.
Citing a lack of conclusive evidence that discharge from the proposed plant would not degrade the quality of the Edwards Aquifer, both the City of Helotes and Dorazio, who represents Helotes and the surrounding area, are calling on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to deny a permit for the plant.
In voicing their concerns last week, they joined hundreds of local residents who are calling on the TCEQ to deny the applicant, Lennar Homes, a building permit to construct a wastewater plant that would serve a 2,900-home development the Florida-based developer is planning to build on 1,160 acres north of San Antonio known as the Guajolote Ranch.
The City of Helotes’ mayor and five council members unanimously passed a resolution May 25 opposing the permit. Dorazio, a Republican elected to the Legislature in November to succeed retiring water champion Lyle Larson, issued a statement published in the Helotes News the following day.
“Given the overwhelmingly negative response from my constituents and the numerous concerns brought forward by experts in water quality and health, I must call on the TCEQ to deny this permit at the present time,” Dorazio stated.
Helotes’ resolution referred to a public meeting held by the TCEQ on May 9 in San Antonio that was attended by as many as 300 people, roughly 40 of whom submitted formal comments on the project.
The resolution pointed out that although Helotes Creek is 14 miles long, TCEQ personnel were only required to examine 2.5 miles of the creek bed to verify if it could contain the discharged wastewater. The resolution also listed flooding concerns, worries about Lennar’s environmental track record, and the city’s need to protect its residents’ public health as reasons the city was opposing the permit.
During the City Council meeting, Helotes Councilwoman Jen Sones said while she supports property rights, the plant would affect property owners downstream.
“This is not a liberal or conservative issue, this is a Helotes issue; in fact, I would add after researching it, this is an area-wide issue,” she said. “I support development. I support the right for property owners to develop a property based on the best use of a property, but yet I’m not in support of a development that infringes on all the rights of property owners along Helotes Creek.”
In his statement, Dorazio said his staff members have spent several weeks researching the permit, during which they have discussed the plant with the cities of Helotes and Grey Forest, San Antonio Water System, local residents, Lennar and water experts and haven’t found the “satisfactory evidence that I need to feel confident in this proposed facility and its potential impact on my constituents.”
Dorazio added that he discovered the initial application for the permit contained errors such as failing to mention that Helotes Creek is used for recreation by residents of Grey Forest and that the creek has dams built along it.
Other concerns Dorazio included in his statement were about potential pharmaceutical waste byproducts, increased risks of flooding and the Edwards Aquifer’s health.
“The Metropolitan Health District has called on TCEQ to deny this permit,” he said, referencing a formal statement submitted to the TCEQ earlier this month by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Kyle Cunningham.
Dorazio also referenced a study performed by the Southwest Research Institute in which project manager Ron Green led a two-year-long computer model research effort to evaluate the impact different types of wastewater disposal facilities built in the Hill Country could have on the Edwards Aquifer.
His findings, published in 2020, showed that any type of wastewater system pumping treated effluent into Helotes Creek could “significantly degrade the watershed and the quality of water recharging the Edwards Aquifer,” according to a press release about the study.
Dorazio said that based on the study, this project would put the Edwards Aquifer at risk.
“We cannot take this lightly, and it would be a shame to damage such a precious natural resource,” he said.
Environmentalists applauded the City of Helotes and Dorazio for speaking out against the permit.
“I support the Helotes City Council for having the courage to speak truth to power about the serious harm that this treatment plant will have on the citizens of Helotes and the Edwards Aquifer,” said GEAA Executive Director Annalisa Peace.
“I encourage all elected officials whose constituents depend on the Edwards Aquifer to demonstrate their commitment to public health, safety, and welfare” by urging the TCEQ to deny the permit request, she added.
TCEQ has reviewed Lennar’s application and is preparing to draft a permit, said agency attorney Bobby Salehi at the May 9 public meeting. TCEQ will then take all comments from the formal comment period, which ended earlier this month and will use these to decide if any changes to the draft permit need to be made. A formal response to comments will then be issued.
Everyone who made a formal comment will receive a copy of the response, as well as a letter explaining how to appeal the TCEQ’s decision.
