Groundwater district tells Aqua Texas 'NO EXTRA PUMPING,' and orders a water waste reduction plan

Members of the board, from left, Greg Nesbitt (District 2), Jack Hollon (District 5-Wimberley), Doug Wierman-president (District 1), David Baker-vice president (District 4-Wimberley), and Andrew Backus (District 3)

Groundwater is not free to waste! To consider using our precious drinkable groundwater to fill subdivision ponds and water golf courses in the midst of an exceptionable drought is unconscionable

Editor's Note: Much was said, discussed and learned at today's public hearing. We'll be reporting more on the district's efforts to document the effects of the drought, the district's dwindling operating budget and its request to the Hays County Commissioners court for some financial support.

For more background on this report, scroll down to the story titled "Aqua Texas to ask groundwater district for permission to pump 24.5 million gallons more."

Send your comments and news tips to online.editor@valleyspringcomm.net
or to manager@haysgroundwater.com Visit the groundwater district's web site here.

By Bob Ochoa
RoundUp Editor

City Hall Council Chambers, Wimberley – The five member board of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District voted unanimously today to deny Aqua Texas' request to pump an additional 24.5 million gallons of groundwater for its Woodcreek Phases I & II service areas. The action will effectively hold Aqua at its current permitted pumping limits.

The board also ordered the for-profit water company to come up with a plan in 60 days to start reducing massive amounts of ongoing groundwater losses in its system.

"We want a plan in 60 days, and tell us what you're going to do (to reduce the waste)," board president Doug Wierman told Aqua area manager Brent Reeh, who was seated in the audience.

Aqua's Mr. Reeh just did not
want his picture taken.

A motion by board member Andrew Backus, seconded by David Baker, to reduce Aqua's pumping permits by 10% and 20%, for Woodcreek Phase I and Phase II, respectively, failed to gain traction with the other board members.

Backus argued that reducing Aqua's currently permitted pumping would "get the attention of the management to reduce the leakage."

By some estimates, Aqua is experiencing up to a 48% loss rate in parts of its Woodcreek system. The Pennsylvania-based parent company, Aqua America, Inc., is publicly traded on the stock exchange. Aqua Texas has nearly 200,000 customers in four major Texas cities.

The groundwater district's public hearing over Aqua's permit was called to order a little after 9 a.m., and concluded around noon. The hearing was heavily attended, with standing room only at one point. Many outspoken citizens came forward to comment for the record – all strongly opposed to allowing Aqua to pump more groundwater in a time of extreme and prolonged drought.

One citizen, Bill Peoples, warned the board and audience, "the issues here are over money. Put the people ahead of the officers of Aqua Texas and Wimberley Springs Partners."

Louis Parks of the Red Hawk Road property owners association told the board that Aqua's request was "obscene, unethical, and it's wrong."

Aqua had withdrawn its request a short time before the public hearing occurred. Mr. Reeh reiterated Aqua's withdrawal at the hearing, but the hearing went on as scheduled, along with some fiery hot comments from citizens. Wimberley Springs Partners had also pulled back its application for additional groundwater for golf course irrigation.

Aside from responding to questions from the board, Aqua (Mr. Reeh) made no public statements or comments for the record during the public hearing. Aqua official Glen Lewis was present, as were Winton Porterfield and a Mr. Johnson, an attorney dressed in a dapper suit with a bright green tie, representing Wimberley Springs Partners. Elected officials in attendance included Mayor Tom Haley, Wimberley Councilman Steve Thurber and Woodcreek Mayor Eric Eskelund. Also present were two officials from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), senior geologist Michael Chadwick, and Brian Dickey from the water supply division. Notably not in attendance were Precinct 3 County Commissioner Will Conley of Wimberley and State Representative Patrick Rose.

Janelle Delaney, with the Woodcreek property owners association, handed over to the board a stack of reports which she said document Aqua system leaks from June '08 to July of this year. The documentation has been shared with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Aqua, Ms. Delaney said, are "chronic wasters of water, the single largest waster in the Trinity and Edwards Aquifers."

Sue, a resident of Woodcreek North II, informed the audience of a $9 million state loan application by Aqua (apparently for system upgrades, as yet unconfirmed by the RoundUp). Sue said a recent Aqua system leak had lost more than 400,000 gallons of groundwater. "These entities must be brought to heel," she said.

Karen Jackson, speaking for the Village property owners association, said, "We ask you to say no to these rapists of our environment."

New Woodcreek Mayor Eric Eskelund invited folks to take a drive through Woodcreek Phase I to see all the parched and brown lawns – evidence, the mayor said, that residents are doing their part to conserve water.

Mr. Eskelund reminded folks that Aqua's pumping directly affects the flow of the revered and iconic and once-mighty natural artesian well, Jacob's Well. "With increased pumping and the prolonged drought, Jacob's Well has completely stopped flowing. When it stops flowing we know we're in trouble."

Curt Busk, with the River Meadows subdivision property owners association, reported two wells going dry in his subdivision. "We don't believe we should pay the price for new people coming in and connecting to commercial water suppliers," Mr. Busk said.

Ed Pope, of the Burnett Ranch property owners association, described the nightmare he is living borrowing water from a neighbor through a 200-foot hose. His well collapsed recently and was forced to drill a new well. "We've had to lower the pump twice and I am still not getting good water." Neighbors' wells, he said, are starting to draw sediment. "I would love to have your wasted water," he told Aqua representatives, and raised a small flyer stating "Waste Not Want Not."

Here's part of a written statement read by Jim McMeans, local organizer of the Citizens Alliance for Responsible Development: "Aqua Texas and Wimberley Springs Partners appear to be working as partners in promoting dense development, unjustifiable use of groundwater, and destruction of aquifer recharge areas. First was the construction of the Wimberley Springs Phase I subdivision with its storm water pond that was filled with over 3,000,000 gallons of groundwater during our current critical drought. The water was supplied by Aqua Texas.

". . . there is a proposal by Wimberley Springs Partners to build another 18-hole golf course. They plan to ask for 45,000,000 gallons of additional groundwater to irrigate the golf course. A perfectly good 18-hole golf course already exists which is irrigated with primarily treated sewage plant effluent.

"The only likely justification for these developers desire to build a second course is to have a site upon which to dispose more treated sewage effluent from the expansion of the Aqua Texas Sewer Plant. The expanded sewer plant would then serve the future subdivision envisioned by Wimberley Springs Partners, who have purchased many of the vacant lots in the undeveloped portions of the original Woodcreek North subdivision."

And David Glenn, a member of the Wimberley planning & zoning commission, read this statement into the record: "We live on the edge of the desert. Many geographers say that 30 degrees north latitude and 98 degrees west longitude is the beginning of the deserts of the Southwestern United States. This location falls in Hays County, near Wimberley, adjacent to the Blanco River in River Mountain Ranch subdivision. Water in this environment becomes a precious commodity and a critical resource. Water is life!

"Groundwater is not free to waste! To consider using our precious drinkable groundwater to fill subdivision ponds and water golf courses in the midst of an exceptionable drought is unconscionable! Over 6,500 private water wells in (western) Hays County depend on the Trinity Aquifer for drinking water. Aqua Texas has treated effluent that it must recycle and reuse, available to irrigate golf courses and fill vanity ponds. Water For People, Not For Profit!"

Wimberley Water Supply Corporation field superintendent Garrett Allen reported that extensive leak repairs and other conservation measures have helped reduce Wimberley Water's groundwater pumping – 4 million gallons less this month than last month. He also asked that the local media, including the RoundUp, not "lump us with Aqua Texas."

Mr. Allen corrected the RoundUp in noting that Wimberley Water does indeed regularly share its pumping and well level information with the groundwater district's staff.

Thanks for pointing that out, Garrett. Wimberley Water is a local member-owned water utility theoretically more responsive to its local customers, while Aqua is a for-profit conglomerate theoretically more responsive to its investors and shareholders.

Maybe the community will consider sponsoring a race to see which of the two utilities could achieve the least amount of waste of our groundwater in the fastest time. And maybe then we'll see who is more responsive to the needs of our aquifer.