Clean Water In the News

Dirty water still flows through Texas on the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, environmental groups find.

Environment Texas released a report on Thursday to show how facilities regulate pollutant discharge. The nonprofit advocacy group found that 53 percent of Texas facilities released more pollutants than permits allow, said Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas.

Metzger said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality fails to keep facilities in line. Stronger penalties would deter permit violations, he said.

The public water systems that serve 96 percent of the Texas population met all federal drinking water standards in 2007, said Lisa Wheeler, spokeswoman for Environmental Quality.

"Our drinking water is safe," Wheeler said.

The 1972 Clean Water Act is supposed to protect all water and make all U.S. waterways swimmable and fishable, said David Foster, Texas program director for Clean Water Action.

Environment Texas requested data from the Environmental Protection Agency, using the Freedom of Information Act, on permit compliances from January to December 2005. Metzger said that was the most recent data available.

Metzger said the "Troubled Waters" report showed that the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority exceeded permitted levels of total suspended solids. The Authority also showed a pH violation at its Willow Street Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Plant manager David Weaver said the plant had a pH result of 5.96 when it needed at least a 6. Weaver said the plant found that overfeeding sulfur dioxide and oxygen could cause the pH to get low. The plant installed timers and other equipment in response.

Weaver said the regional treatment plant discharged only slightly too much solid. Solid discharge may include sand, grit and biological waste, he said.

"Residents don't have to be alarmed," Weaver said. "We have made corrections and taken care of those issues."

Calhoun County's Alcoa company was found to have exceeded permitted levels for aluminum and benzopyrine discharge, Metzger said.

Alcoa continually looks at its environment performance and strives to be 100 percent compliant with the Clean Water Act, said Laurel Cahill, community affairs representative.