Project Overview:
The Gateway Water Reclamation Facility serves a large-scale mixed-use development in San Marcos, Hays County, Texas, combining data center operations, commercial facilities, and supporting systems. A traditional 1.0 MGD discharge permit in this region would have faced significant opposition from environmental groups concerned about impacts to the San Marcos River and Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, with public hearing processes routinely extending timelines to 30 or more months. Modern Engineering Solutions pursued the TCEQ 210E authorization pathway instead, securing approval in just 10 weeks with a zero-discharge reclaimed water system that eliminated surface water discharge concerns entirely.
More Details:
- Authorization Number: 2E-0000365
- Design Flow: 1,000,000 gallons per day (1.0 MGD)
- Time to Permit: 10 weeks
- Time Saved vs. Discharge Permit: ~21 months
- Waste Streams: Domestic wastewater, data center cooling systems, equipment cleaning, humidification processes, truck washout, stormwater runoff
Reuse Strategy:
- On-site irrigation for extensive campus landscaping and common areas
- Fire protection for data center and commercial buildings (self-contained on-site reuse)
Challenge Overcome:
A traditional discharge permit in the San Marcos area would have triggered opposition from environmental groups protecting the San Marcos River and Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, with third-party referral processes routinely pushing timelines past 30 months. The 210E authorization bypassed this process entirely by implementing a zero-discharge system. Even at 1.0 MGD, requiring more detailed technical review, TCEQ approved the authorization in 10 weeks, 21 months faster than a comparable discharge permit. The data center component provided clear industrial justification, while the large-scale irrigation capacity eliminated any surface water discharge concerns.
