Granbury Fresh
City of Granbury Proposed Sewer Plant at 3121 Old Granbury Road
Significant Risks and Adverse Impacts
The City of Granbury has applied for a TCEQ permit to construct a sewer plant that will discharge 2 million gallons a day of effluent through dry ditches on farm land the City forced annexed in 2019, thence to Rucker Creek (a tributary of the Brazos) then to the main body of the Brazos River. There are significant risks to this discharge route—the effluent cannot be safely diluted/dispersed in Rucker Creek—a narrow, shallow, winding creek that will become “effluent-dominant” if this project is built.
Impacts on the Quality of Life, Public Health, and Public Welfare for Surrounding Neighborhoods, Hood County Citizens, and Business
- Foul Odors—rotting vegetables, sulphur, etc. (References 1 & 2)
- Health risks to citizens in surrounding areas (References 3, 4, & 5)
- Negative Impact on Property Values (Reference 6)
- Mallard Pointe’s Marina, Boat Slips, and Park are key features for property values, which will be impacted by the proposed sewer plant location and discharge route through the marina and park, and many backyards. It is highly likely the facility will trigger harmful algae and dump accidental raw sewage spills in the neighborhood recreational creek and marina cove.
- Our multi-neighborhood quality of life will be lessened by a sewer plant in proximity. Who wants sewer plant aerosols and foul odors while outdoors (walking, fishing, swimming, cooking out, etc.)?
Adverse Environmental risks include, but are not limited to:
- The nutrient-rich effluent will have a negative impact on surface water quality, as stated in the City of Granbury’s permit application (pg.15 of the City’s EID).
- The sewer water discharge route—where the effluent cannot be adequately diluted and dispersed—poses a high risk of triggering a Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB), likely accompanied by a massive fish kill. (References 7, 8, & 9).
- Hormones, pharmaceuticals, and other contents that cannot be removed completely by MBR or any other wastewater treatment, will have an adverse impact on fish and other aquatic life in Rucker Creek, where the effluent cannot be adequately diluted and dispersed. Male fish can become feminized by the hormones, wiping out a species within 2 years. Additional research is needed on impact to humans. (Reference 10)
One picture is worth a thousand words. Watch the KVUE video on the Blanco River Algae, caused by the sewer plant discharge there, and citizens comments:
MBR technology gone bad:
The Do’s And Don’ts Of MBR Pretreatment —by Kevin Westerling
“This image of a fouled membrane bioreactor (MBR) system needs little prelude — it’s simply what happens when you don’t properly protect your membranes with pretreatment.”
“Although this appears to be an extreme case, it’s easy to see how this can occur considering that just 1 ppm (1 mg/L) of hair, fiber, or related debris adds up to the following volumes:
8.35 pounds (3.9 kg) per MGD/day
58.45 pounds (27.3 kg)/week
249 pounds (113.2 kg)/month (30 day)”
References
Foul Odors
1.https://www.epa.gov/biosolids/fact-sheet-odor-control-biosolids-management
- City of Granbury City Council Archive Meeting Video
Link to City 6/5/2018 Granbury City Council Meeting (1:12 mark):
Health Risks to Citizens
“The objective of the study was to investigate the impact on the quality of life of life for people living close to a municipal wastewater treatment plant.
The concentration of airborne pathogenic microorganisms in aerosol samples collected around the wastewater treatment plant was investigated. Significant risk for symptoms such as headache, unusual tiredness, and concentration difficulties was recorded and an increased possibility for respiratory and skin diseases was reported. A high rate of the cases being irritable and moody was noticed. Significantly higher gastrointestinal symptoms were also reported among the cases in relation to the controls. The prevalence of pathogenic airborne microorganisms originating from the wastewater treatment plant was reported in high numbers in sampling points close to the wastewater treatment plant. More analytical epidemiological investigations are needed to determine the cause as well as the burden of the diseases to inhabitants living surrounding the wastewater treatment plant.”
- https://engineering.purdue.edu/~frankenb/NU-prowd/wwater.htm
“Wastewater temperature also affects receiving waters. … When discharged in large quantities, it can raise the temperature of receiving streams locally and disrupt the natural balance of aquatic life. pH. The acidity or alkalinity of wastewater affects both treatment and the environment.
Many disease-causing viruses, parasites, and bacteria also are present in wastewater and enter from almost anywhere in the community. Some illnesses can be spread by animals and insects that come in contact with wastewater.Even municipal drinking water sources are not completely immune to health risks from wastewater pathogens. Drinking water treatment efforts can become overwhelmed when water resources are heavily polluted by wastewater. For this reason, wastewater
treatment is as important to public health as drinking water treatment.
Large amounts of biodegradable materials are dangerous to lakes, streams, and oceans, because organisms use dissolved oxygen in the water to break down the wastes. This can reduce or deplete the supply of oxygen in the water needed by aquatic life, resulting in fish kills, odors, and overall degradation of water quality.”
- Research on health risks from pharmaceuticals in waste water: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5389172/
Negative Impact on Property Values
“Domestic wastewater refers to liquids collected from residences, offices, and institutions. The collection and treatment of domestic sewage and wastewater is vital to public health and clean water. Sewers collect sewage and wastewater from homes and deliver it to wastewater treatment facilities before it is discharged to bodies of water or land. Wastewater discharged from industrial and commercial sources may contain toxic pollutants. Treatment is accomplished by subjecting the wastewater to a combination of physical, chemical, and/or biological processes that reduce the concentration of contaminants.
We believe wastewater treatment facilities can impact the market value of nearby properties. Nearby properties may be potentially affected because of the plant’s size, use, and architecture. Chemicals, bacteria, and other organisms from wastewater treatment facilities can become airborne during the treatment process, especially in windy and humid conditions. Those living near the plant may also be exposed to eye irritation, central nervous system damage, and possible poisoning. Wastewater treatment plants may also attract flies and other pests. These insects pose a risk of spreading bacteria and chemicals from the wastewater treatment facility into the community.
The wastewater treatment process often emits foul odors…they are unpleasant and could result in a nuisance to those living nearby. Like any other technology, these facilities suffer malfunctions and mechanical failures. These failures can result in the flooding of the facility and surrounding areas. Most wastewater treatment plants utilize concrete tanks that are often partially underground to process wastewater. Over time, these tanks can develop cracks. If these cracks are not repaired immediately, tank contents can leak and contaminate underlying soils and groundwater. This could result in on-site contamination and eventually lead to third-party property damage from contaminants migrating off-site.”
HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS
- Congressional Research Report Summary on Harmful Algal Blooms:
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10690
“When wastewater spills or is dumped into a body of water, it contains pharmaceuticals, synthetic hormones, pollutants and nutrients that can feed algal growth. There is an impact to the aquatic ecosystem from raw sewage or partially treated effluent that makes their way into our freshwater resources.”
- Link to hormones and fish impact:
https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?Lab=NERL&dirEntryId=198763