Will the discharge of Belterra’s water into Bear Creek harm the families and wildlife that live along the creek?
No. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, recycled wastewater that is cleaned and treated to the level planned by the Water District is not detrimental to wildlife and is safe enough for fishing, wading and recreational use. In fact, in the permit approved in February 2009, the TCEQ is requiring Belterra’s recycled water to adhere to unprecedented quality standards, which means it will be cleaner than the water discharged by any other community in Texas, including the City of Austin. And the clean-recycled water certainly will be cleaner than the runoff from rainwater that likely will be already flowing into Bear Creek on those days that the Water District must discharge.
