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The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has declined to reconsider a wastewater permit for the proposed Guajolote Ranch housing development in northwest Bexar County, leaving the permit in place.
Attorneys representing the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and the City of Grey Forest said the agency did not act on their request for a rehearing before a December deadline, which effectively upholds the original permit approval.
That approval stems from an earlier TCEQ ruling that found the project’s proposed wastewater treatment system met state regulatory standards.
Opponents argue that Lennar's roughly 3,000-home development planned near Grey Forest could threaten water quality and recharge of the Edwards Aquifer, which supplies drinking water to millions across South Central Texas.
They cite findings from a hydrological study from Southwest Research Institute, which concluded that additional wastewater systems from residential development in the area would “significantly degrade the watershed and the quality of water recharging the Edwards Aquifer.”
Miami-based Lennar has maintained that wastewater from the project would be treated using advanced treatment processes designed to meet environmental safety standards before being released.
The Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance said in a statement that it plans to appeal the decision in state court and continue opposing the project as it moves through local review at San Antonio City Hall.
The group is also challenging the creation of a proposed municipal utility district, or MUD, which would allow the developer to finance infrastructure such as roads, water, and sewer systems through bonds.
“As several San Antonio city council members, county commissioners and state legislators have affirmed the importance of local control, no matter how TCEQ fails us, we are vigorously fighting a proposed municipal utility district for Guajolote Ranch,” read the statement.
The project is scheduled to go before the San Antonio Planning Commission on Jan. 16, with a vote by the San Antonio City Council expected in early February.
