SPRING BRANCH, Texas – Neighbors in the Mystic Shores subdivision are concerned about a new housing development, which could dump treated wastewater into their backyards and flow down to Canyon Lake.
A coalition of property owners, community advocates and scientists recently came together to oppose a wastewater treatment plant permit renewal for Juniper Ranch, a subdivision under construction by Lennar Homes, located across the street from Mystic Shores.
The concerns mark the latest in a series of communities expressing concern about wastewater treatment plants that KSAT has been following.
However, the Juniper Ranch subdivision wants to send its treated wastewater, known as effluent, down a creek bed which residents said has been dry for decades.
Neighbors have already felt the impact of the development.
Two Mystic Shores property owners — Terry Shake and Steve Wright — said they already are seeing problems on their land, including drainage issues, stormwater pooling, foundation risks, and algae growth because of all the vegetation that was cut down to make way for the homes.
While properties in Mystic Shores are spread out on multi-acre lots, the new subdivision will have multiple homes per acre. The new homes will also not have to follow the same rules about wastewater.
Mystic Shores resident Frank Hutchins said homeowners are legally prohibited from spraying septic effluent onto a neighbor’s property, yet the developer’s plan would send treated effluent directly behind his home.
“While we are required to keep our effluent water on our property, why does TCEQ allow the developer to release their effluent onto other owners’ private property?” Hutchins said. “Does Texas property rights not apply to everyone?”
What’s at stake
Canyon Lake sits in the Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone, directly above the Cow Creek formation in Devil’s Hollow. This hydrological system feeds more than 8,000 private groundwater wells in Comal County, according to advocates.
Four wastewater treatment plants are currently permitted to discharge treated effluent into that same interconnected system. Retired geophysical engineer Ron Harris said the risk is compounding.
“Canyon Lake has an extensive groundwater system that serves over 8,000 private wells,” Harris said. “As a geophysicist, I am concerned that the cumulative impact of these discharges poses a growing risk to both surface water quality and groundwater quality. I strongly recommend we change course now.”
The proposed discharge path through Devil’s Hollow also runs directly through a registered Texas archaeological site, according to retired petroleum engineer and archaeology volunteer Marty Rolleg.
“Pumping 300,000 gallons of treated effluent wastewater into the fragile environment of Devil’s Hollow Creek and across this registered archaeological site every day will utterly destroy an ancient record that has survived since the Middle Archaic Period 8,000 years ago,” Rolleg said. “Once it washed into Devil’s Hollow Creek, that history is gone forever.”
Proposed solutions
Mystic Shores neighbors are not calling for a halt to development in the area. Instead, residents argue the technology and policy precedent already exist to protect the watershed while allowing growth.
A no-discharge wastewater ban has been in place at the Highland Lakes near Austin for roughly 40 years. They said development has continued in the region because builders know there are alternatives.
Organizers proposed the following solutions:
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100% water reuse: routing treated effluent to irrigate lawns, landscaping, or supply a future fire station
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Selling treated wastewater as a commercial resource to golf courses or industrial users
“Responsible planning to reuse millions of gallons of treated effluent would become millions of gallons of high-quality raw water conserved for the people,” organizer Denae N. Delaney said. “Later is too late.”
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