Honorable Charles Perry, Chair, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1796 by Menéndez (Relating to a restriction on permits authorizing discharges of sewage effluent into any water in the contributing or recharge zone of the San Antonio or Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Water Code prohibiting the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) from issuing a new permit for authorizing the discharge of sewage effluent into any water in the contributing or recharge zone of the San Antonio or Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. The bill would prohibit TCEQ from amending a permit issued before September 1, 2017 to authorize the increase in the amount of sewage effluent discharged in the segment.
The bill does not prohibit TCEQ from issuing permits for other types of water discharge in the segment.
TCEQ estimates any additional fiscal impact from the bill can be absorbed within existing resources.
The bill would take effect September 1, 2017.
Local Government Impact
According to the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, no fiscal impact is anticipated.
According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the bill could impact local and other governmental entities providing wastewater treatment services to citizens in the affected area. Currently, there are approximately 13 Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (discharge to surface waters) issued permits that are located in the contributing or recharge zones of Kinney, Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, Comal, Hays, and Travis counties, as well as two pending applications. New developments would be impacted as any new wastewater generated would have to be disposed of via land application in this area or routed to another watershed for discharge. Fiscal implications are not able to be estimated, however they could be substantial.