Orange Interlocal Deepwater Horizon Restoration Group IMPROVING SABINE RIVER WATER QUALITY Presented to SETEDD December 8, 2015 Bill Hughes, P.E. Sabine River Authority of Texas
Sabine River Basin LOUISIANA TEXAS 2
Sabine River Restoring high quality water to the largest source of freshwater reaching the Gulf from Texas is important to Gulf restoration 3
Sabine River Basin LOUISIANA Toledo Bend TEXAS Sabine River Sabine Lake 4
Lower Sabine River Basin 5
Lower Sabine River Basin 6
Lower Sabine River Basin 7
Adams & Cow Bayou Impaired Streams on EPA 303(d) List 8
Orange County TMDL Local Stakeholder Advisory Group formed in 2002 State & Local Government Agencies, Municipalities, Water Districts and the Public 15 Planning Meetings 2002-2006 Adopted by TCEQ – June, 2007 Approved by EPA – August, 2007 9
Orange County TMDL Implementation Plan (I-Plan) 18 Meetings to Develop I-Plan 2006-2014 I-Plan public comment period closed – March, 2015 TCEQ consideration for formal approval – August 5, 2015 10
Solution – Regional WWTF Best long-term solution recommended in the TMDL I-Plan is regionalization of wastewater treatment in the project area (Regional WWTF) Benefits include: Remove point source discharges from Adams/Cow Bayous Reduce non-point source loading in Adams/Cow Bayous Provide clean water to the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem 11
Challenges – Regional WWTF Significant Challenges include: Large Geographical Area Funding Limitations for a Total Project Cost – $50,000,000 Because of the significant benefits expected from regionalization, Orange County TMDL stakeholders are actively pursuing plans and funding to regionalize wastewater treatment and collection 12
Summary We believe the water quality improvements realized from a regionalization project make it one of the best funding candidates available for the restoration needed along the Gulf Coast after the Deepwater Horizon spill 13
Comments or Question? 14
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