exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

It has been one month since Hurricane Harvey hit the Coastal Bend. Communities across the area are working non-stop to restore what Harvey tore apart. It is a massive job, but some progress is being made. Just a walk down the streets of storm ravished communities shows there is a still a long road to recovery ahead. However, some businesses are open, school re-openings are around the corner, and residents are starting to feel hope.

SAN ANTONIO - Monday morning, the San Antonio River Authority announced it was internationally honored. That means more tourism dollars for the Alamo City. The San Antonio River Authority compared it to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, but only for rivers! “It’s like the Nobel Prize for those of us that manage rivers all around the world,” S.A.R.A. General Manager Suzanne Scott exclaimed.

Potts Law Firm filed a class-action lawsuit against the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), representing residents and businesses in Kingwood, Texas. Allegedly, after Hurricane Harvey hit the Houston area, the SJRA facilitated a controlled release from the Lake Conroe dam Aug. 27, which, according to locals, flooded properties that were otherwise unaffected by Hurricane Harvey flooding.

Nearly 31.6 million gallons of raw sewage spilled across southeast Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, pouring into neighboring communities and waterways as dozens of wastewater treatment plants were hit by high winds and flooding, according to state records. Most of the sewage spilled in Harris and Fort Bend counties, with 65 separate releases dumping 20.7 million gallons of sewage in Harris County and 11 spills dumping 9.5 million gallons in Fort Bend.

SAN JUAN – A Hidalgo County man said a pungent smell of raw sewage continues to be an issue in his neighborhood. Edelmiro Gomez and his wife live on Mint Street off Cesar Chavez Road. He said he’s witnessed dirty water coming from down under.

Tests have shown that floodwaters in two Houston areas have been contaminated with bacteria and toxins, according to an article on The New York Times website. It is not clear how far the toxic waters have spread, but there have been breaches at numerous waste treatment plants.

The Environmental Protection Agency this week approved a request from Texas officials to expedite funding to help local governments restore water and wastewater systems damaged by Hurricane Harvey. The Texas Water Development Board, which administers an EPA low-interest loan program for the state, asked the federal agency in a Sept. 1 letter for the flexibility to quicken loan distribution procedures. In the letter, the board said loan money could serve as a bridge to meet immediate recovery needs for damaged water systems while local governments wait for other federal aid.

Mariachi played and the crowd cheered as local leaders and San Antonio River stewards rode into the Pearl Amphitheater Monday on a brand new river barge. San Antonio River Authority Board Secretary Hector Morales stood at the bow of the barge to triumphantly display the prestigious Thiess International Riverprize Award. Every year, the International RiverFoundation awards the prestigious prize in recognition of top-notch river basin management. River Authority representatives accepted the award on San Antonio’s behalf during a ceremony in Brisbane, Australia, on Sept. 19.

The state climatologist is warning that Texas dams will become less able to withstand extreme weather events like Hurricane Harvey, which are expected to occur more frequently as the earth's atmosphere and oceans warm in coming years. Dams are designed with a wide margin of safety and are meant to withstand extreme, worst-case scenarios that are never expected to happen. But what stunned state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon and other weather experts was that Harvey exceeded or matched the preposterous amounts of rainfall that dams in Texas are built to hold back.

All over the Houston area, as Harvey's floodwaters receded, they left behind sludge – a mix of grit and debris picked up from streets and sewers and eroded bayou banks. Though that sediment sometimes appears to be as clean as sand — the large deposits in Buffalo Bayou Park are being described as "beaches" or "dunes" — it's definitely dirty, say experts.

USTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Independent School District says they should be commended for going above and beyond when it comes to testing drinking water for lead. The district teamed up with the Lower Colorado River Authority to test all 130 campuses over the past two years. It was good news for Stephanie Carter, who has two sons at Davis Elementary School. “I don’t know what’s coming out of there,” said Carter, referring to the water fountains on their campus.

KINGWOOD, Texas (KTRK) -- Flood victims in Kingwood are banding together to sue the San Jacinto River Authority. Their homes didn't initially flood during Hurricane Harvey. Rather, they claim their homes flooded after the river authority opened floodgates at Lake Conroe.

No, it is not Pennywise the Clown, but stormwater does pose a threat to the health of creeks and the San Antonio River. The San Antonio River Authority (SARA) released a parody video Friday afternoon based on the film adaptation of Stephen King's "IT" to educate residents on the effects stormwater runoff can have within the San Antonio river watershed.

New life is being promoted in Lake Livingston through a conservation partnership led by the Lake Livingston Friends of Reservoirs and Texan by Nature, founded by former First Lady Laura Bush. On Wednesday, Sept. 15, the former First Lady joined students from seven area high schools as they planted American water willows in the shoreline off of Wolf Creek Park on Lake Livingston near Coldspring.