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TCEQ Approves Wastewater Permit for Lennar’s Guajolote Ranch in Northwest Bexar County

Opponents plan legal challenges over discharges to Helotes Creek, a pathway to Edwards Aquifer recharge.

Overview

  • TCEQ commissioners on Oct. 22 approved the wastewater discharge permit for the Guajolote Ranch treatment plant.
  • The approval advances Lennar’s roughly 3,000-home project on about 1,100 acres in northwest Bexar County.
  • The plant could discharge up to 1 million gallons per day into Helotes Creek, which feeds the Trinity and Edwards aquifers that supply nearly 2.5 million people, including 15% of San Antonio’s water.
  • Lennar says a membrane bioreactor system will exceed regulatory standards and be run by top-level operators, citing similar facilities in the region.
  • Community groups cite a 2020 city-funded study warning of significant recharge degradation and say emerging contaminants and operational failures pose unacceptable risks, and they plan rehearing and court appeals while local officials weigh PID financing.