DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — City leaders in Dripping Springs say they can move forward with a wastewater expansion project after a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court.
On Friday, justices ruled to support a wastewater discharge permit the city got from the state in 2019.
The city said it needed that permit, which was issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, to expand the South Regional Wastewater System and deal with growth.
But, Save Our Springs (SOS) said the permit would endanger Onion Creek and the wildlife living in it.
City leaders called this a win for the community because the lawsuit created challenges.
“The consequences of the delay due to the lawsuit have been difficult,” said Dripping Springs Mayor Bill Foulds. “We’ve been able to work with it, but the city is still growing regardless of the permit. Many developers in the area have had to implement temporary wastewater treatment plants that have resulted in higher cost of housing.”
The city said this ruling will allow it to use treated wastewater for irrigation, instead of drinking water.
“SOS was asking the court to make a huge environmental decision based on the inaccurate information they continued to provide rather than the science and expert studies we have conducted to date,” said Deputy City Administrator Ginger Faught. “If they had ruled against us, it would have had a crippling effect not only on our community, but cities and other entities around the country regarding their ability to proactively plan and protect the citizens they serve. The precedent it would have set would have been incredibly dangerous for all organizations responsible for delivering these services.”