Residents living along the South San Gabriel River in Central Texas are rallying against local wastewater treatment plants, claiming that the excessive discharge of phosphorus is spawning rampant algae overgrowth and impeding recreational use of the river. According to The Austin American Statesman, neighbors like Dave Bunnell and Stephanie Morris have been swept up in a legal battle to compel the Liberty Hill Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant to slash its phosphorus output.
Observations have revealed that algae levels have risen to the extent that activities like fishing and swimming are no longer viable, an alarming shift from the times when the river represented a clean, vibrant playground. "When we first got here, we could swim and fish in the river. But we can't do that anymore," Bunnell disclosed. However, administrative law judges, in a recent proposal, sided with the residents, insisting that the wastewater facility cut its phosphorus levels from .15 milligrams per liter to .015 milligrams per liter. Yet, the final decision rests with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's commissioners, who have not yet convened to deliberate on the issue, the agency's spokesman, Richard Richter, indicated.
Despite residents' protests and legal counsel's arguments, Liberty Hill's attorneys have condemned the proposed phosphorus limit reduction. "The state will be forcing the city to build another brand new wastewater treatment plant at a cost to the taxpayers of tens of millions of dollars with no guarantee that 0.015 mg/L total phosphorus will result in no excessive algae growth in the river," lawyer Rudy Metayer explained in an email detailed by The Statesman.
The issue has escalated to the point where families have threatened legal action as the river's deteriorating condition continues to provoke concern. Meanwhile, KVUE has previously reported that since 2015, the Liberty Hill facility has exceeded permitted discharge levels 98 times, highlighting an ongoing issue. According to a KVUE article, Stephanie Morris, in her pursuit of a remedy, has initiated the legal steps necessary to sue, teaming up with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. "So despite how uncomfortable it was for me to talk to a lawyer to begin with, or even deal with organizations like the TCEQ and try to work within that system, that felt like our only solution," Morris confided.
