The Change of Scope Back to the acclaimed Locally Owned and managed Water Treatment Plant

It was gratifying to read the Wimberley View article on the Water Treatment Plant Town for a factual update on the current status of our long researched Water Treatment Plant for our beautiful Wimberley Valley, where tourism is our main attraction, by keeping our environment pristine, with no risk of any sewage spill into any waterway, especially the Cypress Creek. I defer to David Glenn who says “water and waste should never be in the same sentence!”

The update on our current status, in all its complexity, was well presented by Shawn Cox, city manager, and overseer of this impactful project. The helpful and concerned comment, from so many concerned citizens, was heartening. Clearly, a change of scope back to the original acclaimed water treatment plant, researched and resolved by years of hard working city officials may be challenging, but, according to almost all speaking at the workshop, was strongly desired by a strong majority present.

Some of the most compelling statements were the testimonies of concerned citizens who shared their years of experience with municipal projects, and their strong position that a locally owned and managed Water Treatment System is possible and most desirable, from widely documented research from across the country. Again, I was impressed with the retired executives of municipal projects, even larger than ours, who strongly recommend we stay local, because 1) the cost of going with a distant, for-profit corporation with a D- business rating, will cost Wimberley dearly, perhaps a $100,000 over time, with money leaving our valley for distant shareholders, through a corporation that has a history of NOT working well with our Water District or other municipalities in Texas; and, that 2) local management is doable, and is now handled at the city owned water treatment plant, though we do need a bigger capacity (sewage treatment is not a difficult science). The most difficult Phase I of Septic Collection is about done. Also doable local management is evidenced by the Wimberley Water Supply Corporation, a local not-for-profit board and management, which has handled 40 miles of water piping for almost 40 years, without leaks, unlike Aqua Texas. The WVWSC board meetings are open every month to hear and deal with citizen’s concerns. My average water bill is $30 for 2, with our own septic.

Next, 3) with the current plan, the risk of a raw sewage leak into the Cypress Creek, the central beauty of our valley, is too great. 4) And, the loss of locally treated Type 1 effluent, from a local treatment plant in nearby Blue Hole Park, would not be costly, and is necessary for irrigation. In 10 years of Water Treatment citizen research meeting, elder visionary, Bert Raye, pointed out no discharge is ever necessary, for we have acres of land where we can water for wildflowers in and around our Award winning Blue Hole Park, another outstanding accomplishment by local visionaries and grant writers. Surprisingly reported, a contract with Aqua Texas has gone through 12 revisions, so their true intentions in taking over the Wimberley Valley Water Treatment cannot yet be known?

The main current concerns seem to be the time lost, and costs of “changing the scope” from the original award winning Water Treatment Plan. Seems to me, business owners, being business owners, want what is fiscally wise for our beautiful town “with a river running through it.” Business owners have been factoring in the costs of septic removal for years, and, I trust, will continue to do so, as long as business is good, and we protect our main tourist attraction, our precious water.

The next main concern is the paperwork necessary to change the scope back to the desired award winning water treatment plan. I trust local citizens will utilize their creative resources, if we call upon them. A local Grant Writer Team, like those who funded the Wimberley Community Center, and other local projects, could be assembled. Successful grant writers among us could be offered a 10% fee for services, not adding costs to the city. They can tap the many Texas Funding Resources, to lighten the paperwork load for our hard working city staff. Others among us might have even more suggestions for how we can protect and sustain our beautiful Wimberley Valley for years to come. I look forward to hearing any concerned citizen present your ideas and support at Wimberley City Council Meeting, and at other venues around town. Let’s get this Water Treatment project done right, locally, for the long haul.

Thanks,

Roberta Shoemaker-Beal