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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The San Antonio Water System has been named the |
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winner of a 2011 Texas Environmental Excellence Award in the |
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innovative operations/management category; and |
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WHEREAS, Each spring the Texas Environmental Excellence |
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Awards are presented to individuals, communities, organizations, |
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and businesses that have created successful programs to preserve |
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and protect the environment of the Lone Star State; nominated by a |
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blue ribbon committee and selected by the Office of the Governor and |
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the commissioners of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, |
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the award winners have made outstanding contributions to the effort |
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to prevent pollution, reduce waste, and conserve natural resources; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The San Antonio Water System was recognized for its |
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Wastewater Trifecta, a project to develop environmentally |
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beneficial uses for the water, biosolids, and waste gas that are the |
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major by-products of the city's wastewater treatment process; as |
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part of the project, SAWS developed the largest direct recycled |
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water delivery system in the nation--a network of more than 110 |
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miles of pipeline that delivers treated, recycled water for |
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commercial and industrial use; the high-quality water is also used |
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to help restore streams and aquatic ecosystems in the city; and |
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WHEREAS, The second part of the Trifecta involves turning the |
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organic matter produced at wastewater treatment plants into compost |
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that is used by landscapers and gardeners to improve soil quality; |
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in 2009, 98 percent of the organic material produced was recycled as |
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compost; SAWS has also succeeded in recycling the methane gas that |
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is generated from the biosolids; once simply burned off into the |
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atmosphere, the gas is now refined in such a way that it becomes |
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chemically identical to natural gas, and it is then transferred to a |
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commercial pipeline for distribution as fuel for heating and |
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cooking; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to establishing the Wastewater |
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Trifecta, SAWS has created numerous other programs and community |
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outreach campaigns to promote water conservation, and the |
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cumulative effect of its efforts has been to lower the amount of |
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water used in the city each day; less water use has meant reduced |
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water pumping, which has helped to protect the Edwards Aquifer and |
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to preserve habitats for endangered species; and |
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WHEREAS, By developing conservation initiatives such as the |
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Wastewater Trifecta, the San Antonio Water System has demonstrated |
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that it is a good steward of its water resources, and it is indeed |
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deserving of this prestigious honor; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the San Antonio Water System on |
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receiving a Texas Environmental Excellence Award and extend to all |
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those associated with the organization sincere best wishes for |
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continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for SAWS as an expression of high regard by the Texas House |
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of Representatives. |