Treated effluent is becoming increasingly vital for the San Antonio River, with effluent filling increasing the river's waters by about 90%. The San Antonio Water System and San Antonio River Authority hope that in the future, the nitrate levels in the effluent can be decreased enough that sewage could also be transformed into drinking water.
The EPA released its Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Action Plan, which includes "nearly $2 million in research grant funding to innovative and alternative wastewater treatment technologies in lagoon and pond systems serving small communities." The goal is to improve public health for rural, small, and Tribal communities that rely on lagoon wastewater treatment systems by ensuring their water quality is not impacted by improper wastewater management.
The City of Pflugerville has been awarded a $52 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan from the EPA to support the city's Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project. The project will increase the city's drinking water system's capacity to 30 million gallons per day and utilize new pretreatment and filtration technologies to enhance the system's disinfection process.
This week's TWDB drought map shows improved drought conditions in north central Texas, but degradation along the upper coast. Overall, there has been a 3% increase in the area of the state impacted by drought.