Bill Text: TX HR1613 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Congratulating the San Antonio Water System on winning a Texas Environmental Excellence Award.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-05-16 - Reported enrolled [HR1613 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HR1613-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 1613 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The San Antonio Water System has been named the | ||
| winner of a 2011 Texas Environmental Excellence Award in the | ||
| innovative operations/management category; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Each spring the Texas Environmental Excellence | ||
| Awards are presented to individuals, communities, organizations, | ||
| and businesses that have created successful programs to preserve | ||
| and protect the environment of the Lone Star State; nominated by a | ||
| blue ribbon committee and selected by the Office of the Governor and | ||
| the commissioners of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, | ||
| the award winners have made outstanding contributions to the effort | ||
| to prevent pollution, reduce waste, and conserve natural resources; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, The San Antonio Water System was recognized for its | ||
| Wastewater Trifecta, a project to develop environmentally | ||
| beneficial uses for the water, biosolids, and waste gas that are the | ||
| major by-products of the city's wastewater treatment process; as | ||
| part of the project, SAWS developed the largest direct recycled | ||
| water delivery system in the nation--a network of more than 110 | ||
| miles of pipeline that delivers treated, recycled water for | ||
| commercial and industrial use; the high-quality water is also used | ||
| to help restore streams and aquatic ecosystems in the city; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The second part of the Trifecta involves turning the | ||
| organic matter produced at wastewater treatment plants into compost | ||
| that is used by landscapers and gardeners to improve soil quality; | ||
| in 2009, 98 percent of the organic material produced was recycled as | ||
| compost; SAWS has also succeeded in recycling the methane gas that | ||
| is generated from the biosolids; once simply burned off into the | ||
| atmosphere, the gas is now refined in such a way that it becomes | ||
| chemically identical to natural gas, and it is then transferred to a | ||
| commercial pipeline for distribution as fuel for heating and | ||
| cooking; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In addition to establishing the Wastewater | ||
| Trifecta, SAWS has created numerous other programs and community | ||
| outreach campaigns to promote water conservation, and the | ||
| cumulative effect of its efforts has been to lower the amount of | ||
| water used in the city each day; less water use has meant reduced | ||
| water pumping, which has helped to protect the Edwards Aquifer and | ||
| to preserve habitats for endangered species; and | ||
| WHEREAS, By developing conservation initiatives such as the | ||
| Wastewater Trifecta, the San Antonio Water System has demonstrated | ||
| that it is a good steward of its water resources, and it is indeed | ||
| deserving of this prestigious honor; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby congratulate the San Antonio Water System on | ||
| receiving a Texas Environmental Excellence Award and extend to all | ||
| those associated with the organization sincere best wishes for | ||
| continued success; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for SAWS as an expression of high regard by the Texas House | ||
| of Representatives. | ||
| Menendez | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 1613 was adopted by the House on May | ||
| 12, 2011, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
