Before 1978: Two wastewater treatment package plants served the south side of town:
One package plant was between the Lago Vista Golf Course (LVGC) 16th and 17th greens. Effluent from this plant was utilized by the owners of the golf course reducing the amount of purchased water.
The other package plant was at Emerald and Boggy Ford Road but was not brought online.
The Municipal Utility District (MUD) WWTP was brought online in May 1978 and decommissioned in November 2005. During that time, effluent was discharged on the LVGC and into Lake Travis.
The City agreed to move forward to discontinue discharging into Lake Travis in the late 1990s.
The new WWTP was started up in November 2005 but was not in full operation as a 0.600 MGD plant until January of 2006 when Cedar Breaks was completed.
The City developed the Cedar Breaks Irrigation Project as an effluent disposal site primarily to eliminate the need to discharge into Lake Travis. Cedar Breaks was finished in January 2006. The new WWTP discharged effluent on the LVGC and Cedar Breaks.
Current discharge permit requires that 140 acres of the LVGC and 100 acres of the Cedar Breaks be reserved for the WWTP effluent with a maximum effluent application rate.
City Effluent Disposal Permits
205 (Fixed permit): Tied to the WWTP 1.0 MGD maximum production allowed. Sets a maximum effluent application rate for the LVGC 140 irrigated acres and the Cedar Breaks 100 irrigated acres.
210A (Flexible permit): Allows for the application of effluent to the remainder of the LVGC and Cedar Breaks. Effluent can be applied to the acreage using best practices where ponding, pooling, runoff or failing a soil metals test does not occur.