New ordinances for Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East

WHITEHOUSE – Our news partner, KETK, reports that this week, Tyler City Council decided to update ordinances that are now in effect for both Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East.

Lake Tyler Marina Resort owner and resident, Brent Allen, said people who live by the shore line have been waiting for the update because the rules could mean big changes for them.

“It’s been a topic of conversation since the day I got here,” Allen said “So it’s been back and forth for a long time.”

Allen emphasized how he supports any law that increases the safety and the quality of the lake.

“We 100% support anything that increases the safety of, not only the water quality of the lake, but the boaters and the people that come and visit the lake…This is a main source of all of our drinking water. We want the lake to be environmentally sound.” Allen said.

One rule focuses on boating safety, another aims to protect the quality of the water by making sure owners do not have prohibited plumbing within 100 feet from a set line near the lake, a state standard.

“We will no longer be allowing new boat house construction with plumbing,” City of Tyler Director of Utilities, Kate Dietz said.

The city says all boat houses built before 2022 are only allowed one sanitation facility and it has to be up to code. Anyone who has built extra bathrooms without permit will have to shut them off.

“Every single landowner, whether you have a boat house or not, is going to be required to submit an inspection…We want to make sure that for the citizens of Tyler and the customers of Tyler, we’re protecting what is a very precious drinking water resource,” Dietz said.

Inspections by a third party will start soon and are expected to happen before the lake’s fees go out in October. Fines for those who don’t comply after could go up to $500.