San Antonio committee advances study of Guadalote (Waha'olote) Ranch amid aquifer protection concerns

The Governance Committee on Dec. 11 advanced requests for additional study and briefings on the proposed Guadalote (also referred to in public comment as Waha'olote) Ranch, a roughly 1,100‑acre development in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction that staff said could include about 3,000 single family units and sits within the Edwards Aquifer contributing zone. Staff said a petition seeking consent for a municipal utility district (MUD) arrived Nov. 10 and must be addressed by the city within a 90‑day statutory window.

Why it matters: Public speakers and council members warned the scale of the project could threaten groundwater quality and local water supplies, while staff and the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) described contractual and geologic measures they say reduce the risk. The committee agreed to seek more technical briefings and to evaluate funding options to purchase or protect sensitive parcels before moving the MUD process forward.

Bridget White, director of the Planning Department, told the committee the CCR (council consideration request) asks staff to do three things: assess possible dangers or impacts of the project, evaluate funding sources for potential acquisition or conservation easements, and provide council briefings on aquifer threats. White said the petition for a MUD was submitted Nov. 10 and that state law constrains the city's timing to respond.

In public comment, Alan Montemayor, chair of the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, urged the city to oppose high‑density development in the affected area and to deny any MUD consent for Lennar Homes, saying the project "is gonna generate a lot of treated sewage that's gonna go directly into Helotes Creek and find its way into our aquifer ultimately." Judith Temple of the Environmental Collaborative of San Antonio warned that the project could result in large volumes of treated wastewater and urged slower, more conservation‑oriented options.

SAWS staff disputed a high‑risk characterization. Donovan Burton of the San Antonio Water System said contract conditions, nutrient removal requirements and geological features such as the Haby Fault reduce the likelihood that wastewater would reach SAWS wells. "We don't see a significant threat from this particular development as it stands today," Burton said, while noting that water entering the system is always a concern.

Council reaction and next steps: Council members supported getting a shared, evidence‑based assessment of the threat and a thorough review of funding options. Staff noted an existing funding vehicle—SAWS revenue and a commercial paper debt program—but said additional revenue sources would need council priority. The committee approved a motion to send the evaluation and threat‑assessment pieces to committee for further briefing and to ensure full council receives the MUD petition and related materials within the statutory timetable.

The full council is expected to receive the MUD petition and related briefings in January and to consider the city response before the statutory deadline. The committee’s action does not itself approve or deny the petition.

Where the record is: The CCR and related SAWS and Edwards Aquifer Authority responses were entered into the committee packet and staff noted the item will appear on a full‑council agenda in the statutory window.