What neighbors should know about the proposed Chesmar–GBRA wastewater permit

Residents near New Braunfels can now examine a proposed permit for up to 460,000 gallons a day of treated-wastewater irrigation on public-access land.

By Comal.News Government Desk · Source-linked local reporting

Published October 12, 2026 at 5:38 PM CDT2 min read

Permit proposed; hearing scheduled

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Blank papers in the foreground beside a dashed line across grassy land, with trees and a pale building beyond. — Illustration: A conceptual view of land and permit papers for the proposed wastewater irrigation project; it does not depict the reported hearing.Original editorial illustration; not a photograph and does not depict the reported event or an exact property.Comal.News Visual Desk · Original illustration · Source ↗ · Comal.News original illustration ↗

Chesmar Homes LLC and the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority have applied for a state permit to irrigate land near New Braunfels with up to 460,000 gallons per day of treated domestic wastewater.

The proposed irrigation area is 117 acres of public-access land in Comal County about 3.5 miles west of FM 2722 and SH 46. Those are the location and maximum daily flow described in the TCEQ notice; they are not a statement that irrigation has begun.

What the application proposes

The application would authorize surface irrigation, not a discharge into waters of the state. TCEQ identifies the application as new permit WQ0016516001.

Key terms and procedural status in TCEQ’s 2026 notice
Term	Notice states
Permit	WQ0016516001
Maximum daily average flow	460,000 gallons per day
Irrigation area	117 acres of public-access land
Location	About 3.5 miles west of FM 2722 and SH 46
Status	Application technically reviewed; draft permit prepared

These are proposed permit terms, not evidence of an issued permit or an operating facility.

Where the review stood

TCEQ's executive director has completed technical review and prepared a draft permit. The notice describes that step as a preliminary decision on the application. It does not make the proposed operating terms a final permit. Residents can inspect the application and draft permit at New Braunfels Public Library or through TCEQ’s pending land-application permit portal, using WQ0016516001 to identify the file.

The next documented step

A preliminary contested-case hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 12, 2026, before the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The hearing notice lists docket 582-26-28506 and explains that this preliminary proceeding addresses party status and the schedule for the case. People may attend and request party status; a requester must show an adverse effect distinct from that experienced by the general public. The TCEQ event page carries the hearing listing and is the starting point for checking the proceeding alongside the docket’s next order.

From the source record

Proposed wastewater permitTCEQ notice for permit WQ0016516001

Up to 460,000 gallons per day of treated domestic wastewater by surface irrigation on 117 acres; no discharge to waters of the state authorized.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ↗

The official notice describes the proposed permit and preliminary contested-case hearing.