The Coming Effluent Wars

The Effluent Society is guaranteed to fight over the increasing value associated with the wastewater treatment plant.  How will a community think and act regarding "their waste" versus the collective benefits of an expanding valuable resource?

From the Texas Tribune:

 "SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio River Authority is celebrating a Travis County judge's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority over the release of treated effluent into the river.

The lawsuit filed April 24 by GBRA sought a judgment opposing the San Antonio Water System's “bed and banks” application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Qualityto use treated effluent from its Dos Rios plant for in-stream uses to downstream coastal bays and estuaries.

SARA, which had joined SAWS in opposing the lawsuit, filed a plea this week, asking a district judge to dismiss it, arguing that jurisdiction over the water belongs primarily, if not exclusively, to the TCEQ.

“The San Antonio River Authority is pleased with the outcome because we believe these are issues that should be vetted through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's water rights permitting public process,” said Steve Raabe, SARA's director of technical services.

A GBRA spokeswoman said the agency is reviewing its options for a possible appeal.

Read more on this developing story at ExpressNews.com or Thursday's San Antonio Express-News"