The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved a groundwater system for use in the Edwards Aquifer, protecting one of the state's most valuable water resources from harmful pollutants carried in storm water runoff.
When it rains, oil, sediment and other contaminants wash off paved surfaces and directly into this watershed, threatening southern Texas's sole source of drinking water for more than 1.7 million people. The aquifer, which spans 4,350 sq miles over 11 counties, also provides water for municipal, industrial and agricultural uses.
Approximately 80 percent of water pollution comes from non-point sources like storm water. In order to protect water quality, TCEQ selected a Stormceptor system by Rinker Materials. More than 400 Stormceptor systems currently protect natural water resources across Texas. This system protects the Edwards Aquifer's recharge zone, the area where surface water enters the aquifer, by capturing and containing contaminants during bouts of rain.
"In addition to being the drinking water source for San Antonio, the Edwards Aquifer springs are also a habitat for several endangered species, so we're trying to protect both drinking water quality and threatened species," said University of Texas researcher Dr. Michael Barrett, who assisted TCEQ with its review process.
Source: Rinker Materials
