The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) water treatment operation at the City of San Marcos Surface Water Treatment Plant recently earned the Texas Optimization Program Award from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for the ninth year in a row. The Surface Water Treatment Plant received recognition for exceeding rigorous industry requirements, placing it among the top one percent of water treatment operations statewide.
“GBRA continues its commitment to provide safe and reliable water to our customers,” said GBRA Executive Manager of Operations David Harris. “I am proud of the San Marcos team for their ongoing dedication to maintaining high water quality standards and for being recognized once again with the TOP Award from TCEQ.”
The Texas Optimization Program (TOP) sets goals for surface water treatment plants including removing potential pathogens from source water used for drinking. The TOP is a voluntary, non-regulatory program created to improve standards of existing water treatment. The program consists of only 22 of 320 conventional water treatment plants in Texas, with a limited number of participants awarded for delivering excellent performance.
“The City of San Marcos is proud of the GBRA staff and the commitment to excellence in maintaining the best quality of water for our citizens,” said Director of Utilities Tyler Hjorth. “The continued determination and daily contributions from all involved to maintain this TOP status is highly valued by 
myself, our staff, and most importantly, our customers.”
GBRA operates the San Marcos Water Treatment Plant and serves more than 65,000 citizens of San Marcos, as well as customers in Kyle, Buda, Sunfield Municipal Utility District, Goforth Special Utility District, and Monarch Utilities, L.P. Co-owned by the City of San Marcos and GBRA, the SMWTP uses surface water from Canyon Reservoir to reduce the City’s pumping from the Edwards Aquifer by an average of 85 percent.
For media inquiries, contact communicationsinfo@sanmarcostx.gov.
About GBRA: The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) provides reliable high-quality water and wastewater treatment services, conserves and protects the Guadalupe River Basin, generates hydroelectric power, manages recreational areas, offers laboratory services, and creates educational programming while planning for and supporting community growth and development. Established as a water conservation and reclamation district by the Texas Legislature in 1933, GBRA has evolved to serve as a leader and steward of the water resources across a 10-country statutory district. GBRA’s district begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers and ends at San Antonio Bay, including Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Calhoun and Refugio counties.
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