AS
AS PART
AS PART OF BOOMTOWN 2040 WE'RE LOOKING INTO GROWTH AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON THE
PLACES WE CALL HOME.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS
ABOUT OUR
AREA'S GROWTH -- IS WATER.
THE KVUE DEFENDERS DISCOVERED A
GROWING
NUMBER OF CITIES ARE DUMPING
TREATED
WASTEWATER INTO THE PLACES WE
ENJOY. AND
GET OUR DRINKING WATER. HERE'S
INVESTIGATOR TERRI GRUCA.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED LOOKING
INTO THIS ISSUE I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING A CITY
OR SUBURB WILLING TO TALK
ABOUT IT.
I WONDERED WHY UNTIL I PUT THIS
TOGETHER -- THIS MAP
SHOWS ALL
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS IN
THE
THE KVUE
THE KVUE VIEWING AREA ALLOWED TO DUMP TREATED WASTEWATER INTO OUR RIVERS, CREEKS AND
STREAMS.THOU
SANDS MORE ACROSS THE STATE.
TONIGHT THERE'S A NEW REASON TO
BE CONCERNED.
A SIMPLER LIFE...
SETTLEMENT OWNER 1:03-:08
YOU CAN SWIM OR FISH OR SIT AND
CHILL
CHILL ALL
CHILL ALL DAY LONG ..AND THE BLANCO RIVER ATTRACTED JOE THERIOT AND HIS
WIFE HERE FIVE YEARS AGO.
SETTLEMENT OWNER :57-1:01
WE HAVE 20 RV SITES AND 10
CABINS :58 AND ABOUT A QUARTER
MILE RIVER FRONTAGE
BUT WHERE THE WATER FLOWS--
WORRY FOLLOWS.
DEVELOPMENT IS PUSHING
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANTS ALL ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS
TO THE LIMIT.
LEAVING COMMUNITIES TO SEARCH
FOR
FOR WAYS
FOR WAYS TO DISPOSE OF WASTEWATER. SETTLEMENT 1:38-:51
THE CITY OF BLANCO HAS APPLIED
FOR A PERMIT TO DUMP
1.6 MILLION GALLONS OF TREATED
WASTEWATER IN THE BLANCO RIVER PER DAY BLANCO IS HARDLY ALONE.
2,583 WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANTS ACROSS
THE STATE HAVE PERMISSION TO
DUMP TREATED WASTEWATER
INTO OUR WATERWAYS.
49,500 ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
16:32-:34
IT IS A DIRTY LITTLE SECRET
THE EPA TELLS THE DEFENDERS
THOSE PERMITS "WILL
GENERALLY SPECIFY AN ACCEPTABLE
LEVEL OF A
POLLUTANT".
FECAL COLIFORM, PHOSPHOROUS AND
NITRATES.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS CAN
NOT REMOVE
ANTIBIOTICS OR FILTER OUT
HOUSEHOLD
HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS THAT FLOW INTO STORM SEWERS.
THE BIG CONCERN IN CENTRAL TEXAS
IS THAT MANY
RIVERS HAVE ROCKY BOTTOMS AND
DEPENDING ON
THE SEASON -- HAVE LOW OR NO
WATER FLOWING IN
THEM.
SO THE ONLY THING FLOWING
THROUGH IT WOULD BE
TREATED WASTEWATER.
THIS PERMIT SHOULD BE VERY
CONCERNING TO YOU."
MIKE CLIFFORD IS WITH THE
GREATER EDWARDS
AQUIFER ALLIANCE.
HE'S HIRED TO HELP COMMUNITIES
LIKE BLANCO
FIGHT THESE CHANGES.
THIS IS THE BLANCO RIVER IT
RECHARGES THE EDWARDS AQUIFER
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT
CONTRIBUTOR TO THE EDWARDS
AQUIFER :55 AND WHAT GOES INTO
THE BLANCO RIVER ENDS UP IN
BARTON
SPRINGS
BARTON SPRINGS 2:00 IT IS TREATED SO IT'S CLEAR
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE RAW SEWAGE,
BUT
IT'S VERY HIGH IN NUTRIENTS LIKE
PHOSPHOROUS AND NITROGEN AND
ONCE THOSE GET INTO THE WATER
THEY CAUSE ALGAE BLOOMS :16 ONCE
YOU HAVE THAT YOU GET A RIVER
THAT TURNS FROM A VERY CLEAR
RIVER INTO ONE THAT'S COVERED
WITH ALGAE :20
IF THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR IT
SHOULD.
SHOULD. PREVIOUS STORY "THIS RIVER WAS COVERED FROM
SIDE TO SIDE WITH ALGAE THIS
THICK."
FAMILIES IN GEORGETOWN SAY IT'S
ALREADY
HAPPENING THERE.
LAWANN TULL/ GEORGETOWN RESIDENT
9:31-:35 I DIDN'T KNOW
THAT'S WHERE SO MANY PEOPLE PUT
THEIR WASTEWATER
LAWANN TULL AND HER NEIGHBORS
COMPLAINED TO THE TEXAS COMMISION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY THIS PAST SUMMER WHEN
ALGAE TOOK OVER THE SOUTH SAN
GABRIEL RIVER BEHIND THEIR HOME.
THE TCEQ CITED THE LIBERTY HILL
WATER TREATMENT
PLANT FOR 6 VIOLATIONS -- AND A
NEW INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY
AFTER RESIDENTS FILMED WHAT
APPEARS TO BE SOME KIND OF
CHEMICAL SPILL A FEW WEEKS AGO.
IT'S REALLY SAD I'M SHOCKED THAT
TEXAS ALLOWS IT
GROWTH PRESENTS ALL KINDS OF
CHALLENGES.
ITS MORE THAN GROSS IT'S
DANGEROUS
DANGEROUS AND ON ITS WORST DAY IT'S GOING TO RUIN THIS AREA THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH :26
CONT VO
THE DECISIONS WE MAKE WILL
IMPACT GENERATIONS TO COME.
REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE VERY
RESOURCE WE ALL RELY ON.
THE TCEQ IS STILL WORKING ON A
SETTLEMENT WITH THE LIBERTY HILL
WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
ON LINE WITH THE STORY RIGHT NOW
-- YOU CAN SEE ALL THE
FACILITIES
PERMITTED TO DUMP TREATED
WASTEWATER INTO TEXAS WATERWAYS. SEE WHERE IF YOU'RE COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THEM.
FOR THE KVUE DEFENDERS I'M TERRI
GRUCA.
GRUCA.