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Bacteria Implementation Group

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Bacteria Implementation Group

 
     

What is the BIG?

BIG logoThe Bacteria Implementation Group, familiarly known as the BIG, is a thirty-one-member committee  that is preparing an implementation plan, or I-Plan, to remedy high levels of bacteria in waterways identified in four Total Maximum Daily Load  projects in the Houston Region. The BIG is responsible for receiving input, establishing workgroups, facilitating communications, developing recommendations, and providing oversight in the development of the I-Plan. Activities of the BIG are open to all interested parties, and people are encouraged to attend meetings and participate in the various water quality issues pertinent to the I-Plan.

The draft I-Plan is a common-sense approach for reducing bacteria levels in our waterways and providing better services to citizens. However, for the plan to work, we need your help. With everyone pitching in together, we will reduce bacteria levels in our waterways.

On August 16, 2011, the Bacteria Implementation Group approved the draft I-Plan for the purpose of submitting it to the TCEQ for consideration. TCEQ is currently considering the I-Plan to determine whether to approve the plan for the purpose of soliciting formal comment. As of November 18, 2011, almost 100 organizations representing local governments, business, and environmental interests have passed resolutions in support of the Implementation Plan.

  • Implementation Plan for Total Maximum Daily Loads for Bacteria in the Houston-Galveston Region (PDF) 13M, submitted to TCEQ for consideration. To request printed copies, please contact Rachel Powers at 713-993-4559 or rachel.powers@h-gac.com.
  • A four-page summary is available here (PDF) 613K.

BIG Meetings

Meetings are located at the H-GAC offices in Conference Room A on the second floor unless otherwise noted.

BIG Annual Meeting: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 (Tentative)
The Implementation Plan calls for an annual meeting, at which an assessment of progress toward meeting the goals of the I-Plan will be presented. Particular questions that will be addressed in the report include:

  1. Does ambient water quality monitoring data indicate that bacteria levels are changing? If so, are bacteria levels improving or degrading?
  2. Do non-ambient water quality monitoring data indicate that implementation activities are reducing bacteria loading?
  3. Are implementation activities and controls being undertaken as described in this I-Plan? Which activities have been implemented and which have not?

H-GAC will be hosting a series of workgroup meetings beginning in December of 2011 to help determine the content of the annual report. Notes from past meetings can be found on the BIG Workgroup page.

  • Wastewater Treatment Facilities: Tuesday, Januray 17, 2011, 1:30 to 3:30 pm, H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor. Agenda (PDF) 209kB
  • Sanitary Sewer Systems: Thursday, January 26, 2012, 1:30 to 3:30 pm, H-GAC  Conference Room C, Second Floor. Agenda (PDF) 195kB
  • Storm Water & Land Development: Monday, January 30, 2012, 1:30 to 3:30 pm, H-GAC Conference Room C, Second Floor. Agenda (PDF) 204kB
  • Construction: Thursday, February 9, 2012, 10:00 am to noon, H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. Agenda (PDF) 393 kB
  • Illicit Discharges & Dumping: Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 10:00 am to noon, H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. Agenda coming soon.
  • Onsite sewage facilities will meet in late Febraury or early March.

For more information please contact Rachel Powers:
rachel.powers@h-gac.com or (713) 993-4559

Past Meetings

Workgroups

On November 18, 2008, the BIG established fourteen workgroups to address specific water quality issues pertinent to the I-Plan:

  • Agricultural Sources
  • Animal Sources
  • Construction Sources
  • Land Development Sources
  • Illicit Discharges and Dumping Sources
  • On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Sources
  • Residential Sources
  • Sanitary Sewer System Sources
  • Stormwater System Sources
  • Waterwater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Sources
  • Research
  • Monitoring and Plan Revision
  • Coordination and Policy
  • Watershed Outreach

A detailed description of the workgroups can be found here: BIG Workgroups (PDF) 220K
All interested parties are welcome and encouraged to participate in one or more workgroups. A meeting schedule for upcoming meetings can be found here.  

Contact

For more information contact:
Rachel Powers
(713) 993-4559 
Rachel.Powers@h-gac.com

 

Last updated January 9, 2012

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