As if Governor Rick Perry isn't enough idiocy coming out of Texas, now State environmental officials are considering a proposal to
allow millions of gallons of treated sewage to be dumped into Texas lakes. The plan, up for
preliminary consideration today at the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality would lift a 23-year-old ban on discharges of
effluent into the Highland Lakes, which provide drinking water to more
than a million people.
The cities of Leander and Granite Shoals asked the State to lift the ban because it's cheaper to dump the waste in the lakes rather than use it for irrigation or other land-based applications. They say it will help foster economic growth and refill lakes that have been stressed by drought.
Opponents, including the Sierra Club, say that the waste would ruin the pristine waters of the Highland Lakes whose clear waters are a big draw for scuba divers, fishermen and recreational boaters. They also note that lake levels would only rise by about 5 inches, which is not much of a benefit given lake levels are down by 33 feet.
Water quality experts say the effluent has
high amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen, elements that can't be cheaply
removed from human waste. They say the "nutrients" will cause algae blooms,
decreasing water clarity and create odor and taste issues for the
drinking public.
Three TCEQ commissioners appointed by Governor Perry will decide whether to lift the effluent ban - Yikes! But staffers are recommending that the issue undergo further study by a special panel of interested parties in the region before any decision is made.
How about this. If they vote to lift the ban, Texas has to secede...
Photo: Lake Travis from the Oasis by Kent Wang under Creative Commons License
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