Posted in Energy

Balking at Bacteria

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has voted not to allow higher levels of E. coli bacteria in the state's water sources, despite staff concerns that the current rules are unnecessarily stringent.

By Mose Buchele, KUT NewsJuly 1, 2010, 5:00 a.m. CentralUpdated July 1, 2010, 5:00 a.m. Central

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Republish this article

Take our content — please! — You’re welcome to republish this article for free as long as you follow our republishing guidelines, which includes using our canonical URL and pixel tracker on your story pages whenever possible.

Balking at Bacteria

by From our Partners, The Texas Tribune
July 1, 2010

<h1>Balking at Bacteria</h1>
<p class="byline">by From our Partners, The Texas Tribune <br />July 1, 2010</p>
<br />
<figure class="wp-block-audio"><audio controls src="https://www.texastribune.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WEB_TCEQ_Water-1.mp3"></audio><figcaption>Balking at Bacteria</figcaption></figure>
<p> The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has voted not to allow higher levels of E. coli bacteria in the state's water sources, despite staff concerns that the current rules are unnecessarily stringent.  </p>
<p><em>Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click <a href="/support-us/donors-and-members/">here</a>.</em></p>
<p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.texastribune.org/2010/07/01/tceq-votes-not-to-relax-e-coli-rules/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.texastribune.org&quot;&gt;The Texas Tribune&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/www.texastribune.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cropped-cropped-texas-tribune-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p>
&lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://www.texastribune.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=78796&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://www.texastribune.org/2010/07/01/tceq-votes-not-to-relax-e-coli-rules/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/texastribune.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script async src=&quot;https://ping.texastribune.org/ping.js&quot; data-source=&quot;repub&quot; data-canonical=&quot;https://www.texastribune.org/2010/07/01/tceq-votes-not-to-relax-e-coli-rules/&quot; crossorigin=&quot;anonymous&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

Canonical Tag:

Article Content:

Balking at Bacteria

From our Partners, The Texas Tribune
July 1, 2010

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has voted not to allow higher levels of E. coli bacteria in the state's water sources, despite staff concerns that the current rules are unnecessarily stringent. 

Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here.

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.

Tracking snippet:

The Best of the Tribune in your Inbox

Keep tabs on Texas politics and policy with our morning newsletter.

You've read article this month. You have unlimited free articles remaining because we don't have a paywall.

Texans need the truth. Help us report it.

Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?

Support Independent Texas News

Become a member. Join today.

Choose an amount or learn more about membership.

You've read articles this month. You have unlimited free articles remaining because we don't have a paywall.

Texans need the truth. Help us report it.

Support Independent Texas News

Become a member. Join today.

Choose an amount or learn more about membership.

Tagged: state agencies, water supply

About

Corrections and Clarifications

Balking at Bacteria

Support Independent Texas News

Become a member. Join today.

Support Independent Texas News

Become a member. Join today.

READ MORE

Hundreds of data centers are coming to Texas. Here’s what you need to know.

What Texas can learn from Japanese cities that give technology to its senior citizens

Texas poised to approve more Bible stories, history revamp — but changes for high schoolers delayed

Mexican man dies in ICE custody in Laredo, at least the 20th fatality this year

Fast Build, Slow Policy: Texas communities and the data center boom

Texas must pay millions to fix errors in Bluebonnet school materials, contract shows

Tensions with landowners rise as a raft of gas pipelines push through Texas properties

Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to revive restrictive immigration policy

The U.S. last beat screwworm in 1966. Can current leaders learn from the past’s playbook?

As supporters praise Texas’ proposed “Judeo-Christian” curriculum, rabbis say it dismisses Judaism

Census: Texas leads the U.S. in having more kids, but the state’s fertility rate is still falling

Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy almost one year after deadly flood

Where is screwworm in Texas? Track cases here.

Texas moves fast. We help you keep up.

About

Corrections and Clarifications

READ MORE

You came here for Texas news.

Texas moves fast. We help you keep up.