The City of Blanco Council formed the Blanco River Water Reclamation Task Force in September 2020 to help identify engineering solutions that balance wastewater treatment, beneficial reuse, and water quality protection. Protect Our Blanco (POB), Wimberley Valley Watershed Association (WVWA), and the Council have approved a Request for Qualifications for engineering analysis that will inform policy.
RFQs will be routed through the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Here’s the official announcement:
Requests for Qualifications: Blanco River Water Reclamation Task Force
Through our work with the Blanco River Water Reclamation Task Force, the Meadows Center is requesting responses to the following RFPs:
- Blanco Water Reclamation Task Force: Blanco TPDES Refinement Study Alternatives to Direct Discharge (Responses due 2/19/2021)
- Blanco Water Reclamation Task Force: One Water Pathways for The City of Blanco (Responses due 3/31/2021)
With the full support and participation of the City of Blanco on the Task Force, we anticipate the reports generated from these companion RFPs to have a significant impact on future management decisions and ideally generate lasting protections for the Blanco River.
Funding notes:
- TPDES Refinement Study (Not to exceed $15,000 – Fully Funded and ready to go ASAP)
- One Water Pathways (Not to exceed $25,000 – Funding anticipated by March/April 2021)
In addition to developing the RFQ, the Task Force has helped advise on Municipal Utility District (MUD) policies for sustainable development. Blanco City Council approved the Blanco County MUD #1 proposal with conditions at a special meeting Jan. 4, and ratified the resolution, with extensive discussion that included developer participation, at its regular meeting Jan. 12. The conditions allow the City, as provided in Texas Water Code, to require that the MUD plans and specifications for water, wastewater, and roads meet City code. The conditions do not allow any control over permitting nor density and character of the development. When completed in ten years, the MUD will add 1,360 homes to the existing 1,000 in Blanco. POB members of the Task Force will continue to encourage a MUD policy that gives the City leverage to require a Development Agreement and Strategic Partnership Agreement on any future MUD petition, including no-discharge provisions.
The Task Force includes:
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- Matt Lewis (City of Blanco Council Member)
- Deda Devine (City of Blanco Council Member)
- Will Daves (City of Blanco City Manager)
- Ronnie Rodriguez (City of Blanco Public Works Director)
- David Baker (WVWA & POB Board)
- Joe Day (POB Board)
- John Ransom (POB Board and downstream resident)
- Gabriel Gregerman (Real Ale Brewing Co.)
- Nick Dornak (Meadows Center facilitator)
Further information including studies, links, and overviews can be found on the Protect Our Blanco – Blanco Water Reclamation Task Force page.