The city of Dripping Springs has requested an amendment to its Texas Land Application Permit with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that, if approved, would increase its wastewater capacity by 110,000 gallons per day.
Dripping Springs’ existing wastewater permit allows for a daily average flow of 348,500 gallons per day. The effluent produced by the city is treated to Type I standards, making it safe for human contact in public access areas such as watering parks or sports fields, according to city officials. It is then applied to irrigation areas throughout the Dripping Springs area. The wastewater permit amendment would increase the daily capacity of the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant to 458,5000 gallons and increase its land application capacity by adding irrigation areas within the Carter/ Caliterra development and the Heritage Public Improvement District.
Getting the amendment approved has been a lengthy process, according to Ginger Faught, the deputy city administrator for Dripping Springs.
“[The increased] capacity has already been allocated through contracts that were approved in 2016 and 2017 with projects currently being developed,” Faught explained. “If this amendment is significantly delayed and development in Dripping Springs continues at the current rate, projects will be required to implement their ‘contingency facilities’ in order to continue developing. Contingency facilities range from septic systems to TLAP package plants.”
The city first applied for its amendment on Feb. 16, 2018, according to a combination of notices from the TQEC dated Nov. 10, 2021.
“The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit,” stated the notices. “The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements.”
Dripping Springs publicized its wastewater application via a public notice in the Century News on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2021. The period for public comment closed Friday, Jan. 14.
Once the TCEQ sends out its Response to Comments, the public will have an additional 30 days to request a reconsideration or contested case hearing on the application. Those who submitted comments and/or were included on the mailing list of interested parties will receive a copy of the RTC, according to an email from Gary Rasp, media relations specialist with the TCEQ.
“All timely filed hearing requests will be considered by the TCEQ Commissioners at a Commission Agenda meeting,” Rasp stated. “If any of the hearing requests are granted by the Commissioners, the application will be referred to the State Office of Administrative Hearings for a contested case hearing.”
The wastewater treatment facility and on-site subsurface disposal site are located about a half-mile east of the intersection of Ranch Road 12 and Farm-to-Market Road 150, approximately 1,110 feet south of FM 150 in the drainage basin of Onion Creek. An offsite subsurface disposal area is located just under a half-mile south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 290 and Ranch Road 12, approximately 1,280 feet east of Ranch Road 12. Another existing offsite surface disposal area is located approximately a mile and a half south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 290 and Ranch Road 12, approximately 1,000 feet west of Ranch Road 12.
The future irrigation areas proposed in the amendment would include a subsurface disposal area approximately 0.31 miles north of the intersection of U.S. Highway 290 and Ranch Road 12 and approximately 0.26 miles west of Ranch Road 12. They would also include a surface disposal site approximately 1.65 miles west and 0.65 mile south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 290 and Ranch Road 12.
