From your MUD 16 Board. With the holiday season upon us and as our homes fill with family and friends, please remember to do your part to protect our wastewater treatment system by taking these basic precautions. Thank you.
MUD 16’s Board has recently compiled and distributed a simple, two-page fact sheet about the MUD and its operations to all 395 Rocky Creek homes inside their WTCPUA bills for November.
The document is also posted HERE as a PDF.
Based on our experiences last winter, all households are encouraged to sign up for our e-mail contact list in case of emergencies HERE.
There have been several conversations with residents over the last few months regarding the water quality features in the Rocky Creek community. As the District Engineer for Travis County MUD No. 16 (the District), we’d like to provide some background on what these water quality features are, where they are, and why they are there.
Rocky Creek is located in an environmentally sensitive area. It is in the Contributing Zone of the Edward’s Aquifer. This means that storm water from the community flows into creeks and streams, and eventually infiltrates down into the aquifer. Because of this, we are required to remove some of the pollutants picked up by the storm water as if flows down streets, across lawns, etc. before reaching the creeks. There are several water quality features in the community that accomplish this goal. The most visible are the 8 dry ponds around the community that hold water during a rain event and discharge it slowly. However, the most common water quality feature in the community is a natural vegetative filter strip (NVFS). A filter strip is simply a relatively flat, vegetated section of land. The vegetation facilitates pollutant removal from the storm water as the water sheet flows across the strip. One of the key factors for a NVFS to work properly is ensuring that the storm water sheet flows across it rather than being concentrated into channels so that the vegetation can do its job.
With that process in mind, please do not dispose of any yard waste, trash, or other debris on the NVFS’s. The length and width of each NVFS varies, but the size is calculated specifically to treat water from the area each one serves. Also, do not place any structures on the NVFS’s like decorative stones, benches, etc. The NVFS’s are located on property owned by the MUD, and private use of this property is not allowed. Attached are maps from Travis County showing the locations of the ponds and NVFS’s in the community (the areas in light green).
The District has rules in place to protect the water quality facilities in the community. Any violation of the rules, which includes placing debris or structures in the NVFS’s, is subject to a fine of $500 per offense. A copy of the rules is attached for your reference.
We hope that you find this information helpful. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the Engineer for the District, Cathy Mitchell, at 512-441-9493 or cmitchell@jonescarter.com.
