The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance is calling on the San Antonio Water System to place a moratorium on the construction of new developments in Northern Bexar County over concerns of sewer lines under creekbeds.
There are several new housing developments under construction in the Hwy. 218 and TCP Parkway area. The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance claims it has seen diminished water quality over the last few years due to new developments.
“What we’re seeing is constituents like unmetabolized drugs and personal care products that could only come from the wastewater stream," said Analise Peace, GEAA executive director. "So we believe all this SAWS service expansion of sewer service is having a negative impact on our water quality.
Peace said they’re asking SAWS to direct development projects away from the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone to prevent the construction of sewer lines under creekbeds that feed into the aquifer. SAWS Vice President of Public Affairs Greg Flores said building sewer lines along creekways is the most cost effective and least risky way to transport waste water to its treatment facilities.
“That’s why we typically place these lines along creekbeds, otherwise we’d have to use lift stations which have to lift that waste water over hills and those tend to cause more problems than just a waste water line that runs by gravity," Flores said.
SAWS said zoning and development restrictions are up to the city and it’s obligated by state law to provide service to those areas.
