[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",7313014,"mediaKeyId","3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91","parentId",3522283,"title","SAWS warns six-year drought, outlines supply portfolio and leak-reduction push","audioSeconds",4562,"startMs",52000,"endMs",4614000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91&start=52&end=4614","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91/thumbnail_52000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/7313014/San-Antonio/Bexar-County/Texas/SAWS-warns-six-year-drought-outlines-supply-portfolio-and-leak-reduction-push","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7313014-5749fca3abd001aec897c58b60281f88/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440040&Signature=KNqdMYfGWnSfG-VSXHy99u~uiN2yCeCcu6nxtNNY3F8P~SCkTOPo4TZeKqZd5HhGXkSwTfzKVbKe4xe2OkCwbznQ4~jNuzhY9ew1xy0n5gU7qP5sYMaJagALlxtk4PKApKzsPDmE1kxSIe1cbQiU9PqXBPZNEntVnUxtI4ULiQ37LSWWlEVvTPhUbgO7IjtnF1k~gOROnLnJiwq2ihCn4zQtLOlUaYwECvdqNPFmywPEYYkoI8zBliMNaRaL2WU3uTlNP351rJv~GXdWs~cnE~jB9U-7OTAE3grRE-PouQlRB6TeIh0aU13P-YNBvujpZpFycjcw-zBVVLO-x74MqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Antonio","date","2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","article","San Antonio Water System officials briefed the Municipal Utilities Committee May 20 on the city’s prolonged drought, supply diversification projects and a stepped-up program to find and fix leaks across the system.

The briefing, led by Steven Siebert of SAWS’ water resources team and Karen Guz, SAWS vice president of conservation, placed Bexar County in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s most severe category and described supply projects, conservation targets and expanded leak-detection efforts to protect drinking water and meet demand through 2075.

SAWS data presented at the meeting show the city is in its sixth year of drought and that May — historically the wettest month with more than 4 inches of rain on average — had only received 0.19 inches before a recent 2.5-inch rain at the airport. That event raised the month to roughly 65% of normal. Since 2020 SAWS says the region has a rainfall deficit of about 55 inches. The utility’s J‑17 Edwards Aquifer monitoring well has tracked close to the 1950s drought of record; SAWS reported the Edwards Aquifer Authority moved permit holders from a stage 4 curtailment (about 40% reduction) to stage 5 (about 44% reduction), and SAWS forecasts roughly a 40% critical period reduction off its permits — equivalent to more than 100,000 acre-feet.

Steven Siebert, a manager in SAWS’ water resources department, described SAWS’ diversified supply portfolio and long-term projects intended to reduce reliance on the Edwards Aquifer. He stressed that SAWS now draws roughly 52% of its supply from the Edwards and maintains 13 supply projects from seven sources. Major projects in the 2025 Water Management Plan include expansions to the ASR (aquifer storage and recovery) treatment plant to recover up to 45 million gallons per day, additional Carrizo production (about 21,000 acre-feet per year), phases 2 and 3 of a brackish groundwater desalination project (about 22,000 acre-feet in the early 2040s) and a long-term Regional Wilcox brackish project. Combined, those planned supplies represent about 74,000 acre-feet to bolster supply through 2075, SAWS said.

On demand management, SAWS reported a drop in per-capita use to about 114 gallons per person per day last year, down substantially from 225 gallons per person per day in 1982. SAWS’ long-range modeling targets a per-capita reduction to about 87 gallons per day by 2075 through conservation, water-loss reduction and optimization of supply contracts.

Karen Guz summarized customer-facing programs. SAWS’ Connect H2O metering program is replacing up to 600,000 meters by year-end; the system can notify customers automatically of continuous flows and leaks, and staff resolve many calls by phone. Guz said first-time watering-rule violators can take a one-hour “defensive watering” class instead of court and that the revised enforcement process, combined with outreach, reduced violations by 54% year over year and repeat violations by about 80%.

Guz described incentives to change landscaping (coupons and rebates), a targeted parking-lot-island incentive to preserve trees while eliminating overspray, an upgraded landscape coupon that adds $25 for each 200 square feet and allows up to four coupons per household per year, and discounts on smart irrigation controllers for SAWS customers. SAWS staff said they are holding HOA meetings and other outreach events and have added temporary staff to update commercial contact information for notifications.

Council members asked detailed questions about water loss and infrastructure. Councilman White pressed SAWS on comparisons with peer cities and what steps the utility is taking to reduce water loss; SAWS staff said the system’s fragmentation, soil contraction and 14,000 miles of pipe make direct city-to-city comparisons difficult. SAWS said it had added more than 100 crews to respond to breaks, increased pipe‑replacement funding from about $34 million in 2024 to $108 million in the current year with a five‑year average of $76 million through 2030, and more than doubled its proactive leak-detection team. SAWS reported about a 10% reduction in water loss over the past year and said its backlog for repairs has fallen roughly 40%.

Multiple council members urged stronger coordination between SAWS and the city’s public works department to minimize repeated street excavations, and Councilman White asked if one person was overseeing the leak-reduction effort; SAWS said a program director was recently promoted into that role.

Council members also discussed conservation incentives for homeowners (rebates for emergency shutoff valves, irrigation plan reviews, pressure-regulator education) and commercial customers (rebates and checkups for large irrigation accounts). On data centers, SAWS said many use recycled water for cooling towers and that, to date, data centers account for about 2% of commercial‑sector water use; SAWS offered to provide council with a summary of which facilities use recycled water.

The committee approved the April 22 minutes at the start of the session by voice vote. No other formal actions or votes were taken at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","San Antonio - Municipal Utilities May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","San Antonio Water System officials told the Municipal Utilities Committee that Bexar County is in \"exceptional drought,\" outlined the 2025 Water Management Plan and steps to reduce system water loss, and described conservation programs and incentives for residents and businesses.","taxTitle","San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas","taxId",2771,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6695153,"SAWS: Exceptional drought prompts 2025 water-management plan and new supply projects",782,366000,1148000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91&start=366&end=1148","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91/thumbnail_366000.jpg","/articles/6695153/San-Antonio/Bexar-County/Texas/SAWS-Exceptional-drought-prompts-2025-water-management-plan-and-new-supply-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6695153-9043c583a41b035d7d2f34e89b7e10a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440040&Signature=RDVL3NIDG4F1O2qkbKMdkRMSCi1W9DjRU2fOw~AyEZss1CP7BrvEqVvb3w4sULXWN7f6tRWkM5D6gJ0~rxXn7vu2lPx76uXyU~uDHi4~~6WTIwEgfRxc4lIvJV52~i3cxXOlD7bSWzA-FG6h-xiRfN2r6tf~7tMICHMJD~l~gcSheZXqxHCk4Elvlt5vwZkwMCAfeffg~bQR~Ckj-HIIrBa~Y6A~tG45ERsfaYON-8-2RtxjgQIjL9RA7oqlHUdNWJFwhQT~CS48UoWmDTVjhRbqKblXtWHxqTpMu4dqpn2HuMCxMhDLF6A2~a4RFSGYUsfwtpBplHIn6LSOT93ChA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Antonio Water System officials told the Municipal Utilities Committee on May 20 that Bexar County is in \"exceptional drought\" and presented a 2025 Water Management Plan that combines conservation, storage and multiple new supply projects to meet the city’s projected needs through 2075.

The 2025 plan is intended to address the current multiyear rainfall deficit and long-term growth. \"This is about as bad as a drought can get,\" said Steven Siebert, manager in SAWS’ Water Resources Department, summarizing the drought-monitoring data showing the region inside the darkest, most severe U.S. Drought Monitor category. Siebert said May rainfall had improved the monthly average to roughly 65% at the airport after a major rain event, but the city remained deep in a long-term deficit: since 2020 SAWS has recorded about a 55‑inch rainfall shortfall.

The nut of the presentation was immediate supply constraints and planned supply additions. Siebert said Edwards Aquifer Authority curtailments for permit holders have ranged from a 40% reduction under stage 4 to a recently reached stage 5 that SAWS estimates equates to about a 44% curtailment. \"We are forecasting about a 40% critical period reduction off of permit, which is over a hundred thousand acre feet,\" he said, noting that amount exceeds annual potable use by other Texas cities.

To reduce reliance on the Edwards Aquifer, SAWS presented its diversified portfolio and the next development steps in the 2025 Water Management Plan. Key elements and schedule cited by SAWS staff: ASR (Aquifer Storage and Recovery) treatment-plant expansion in design to recover up to 45 million gallons per day of stored water; expanded Carrizo treatment capable of about 21,000 acre-feet per year; brackish groundwater project phases 2 and 3 expected to bring online about 22,000 acre-feet in the early 2040s; and a longer-term Regional Wilcox brackish project targeted for the mid‑2040s. Taken together, SAWS said the plan adds roughly 74,000 acre-feet of new supplies through the planning horizon to 2075.

SAWS also reviewed recent supply history and portfolio diversity. The utility said production at the end of last year showed about 52% of supply still originating from the Edwards Aquifer but noted SAWS now operates 13 supply projects drawing from seven different water sources, including desalination, reuse and regional pipeline purchases. The agency reported a service-area population of about 2.1 million in 2024 and a planning forecast to roughly 3.5 million residents by 2075.

Siebert framed the plan as a mix of demand management and supply development: conservation, reduced water loss, optimized contract use and new projects. He emphasized that past council investments — including water-supply fees and multi-year rate adjustments used to finance projects — enabled the current diversified portfolio. \"We have a resilient and secure water supply inventory to meet the needs of a growing population and thriving economy,\" he said.

The committee did not take formal action on the plan during the meeting. SAWS staff said elements of the plan are already in design or construction and that many projects will come online in phased timelines through mid‑century.

Looking ahead, SAWS told the committee it will continue annual reporting and planned updates to the water-management modeling as projects, permits and weather conditions evolve.","San Antonio Water System officials told the Municipal Utilities Committee May 20 that Bexar County is in \"exceptional\" drought, outlined stage‑5 curtailments to Edwards Aquifer permits and described the 2025 Water Management Plan and a sequence of projects to secure supplies through 2075.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6695145,"SAWS expands Connect H2O alerts, rebates and outreach as drought enforcement changes reduce repeat violations",772,1282000,2054000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91&start=1282&end=2054","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91/thumbnail_1282000.jpg","/articles/6695145/San-Antonio/Bexar-County/Texas/SAWS-expands-Connect-H2O-alerts-rebates-and-outreach-as-drought-enforcement-changes-reduce-repeat-violations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6695145-816ae51a767b13531503b3063ae03882/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440040&Signature=ZlF9Cf8xwxM7RYhMSPGvtqx9j-AcuBIx9xOInmx3nC5OtvU7iXRoosaEtcHKvEFR6gYxXbNga-R708EuLm1jVviE7oVUOageMhZhD38Xp7FvtTI0-luDGEVIslM-NM~Pkt5EM6CawWYk-c72HhQJFXvwXS5ChJEJFafUacoNXZt9C0U7hRBk4ROB--lmFHQWnexOQo60esefHNNQR-7ZDMm2ENvYtpgF8gJfC4T1vpllImHxWQeKzLV7Z2SwMcmMG-5-jkIp-DEVOebBIVgD0GJZU~AfPA6PHMVdcLBLi2-2ftu-XVB-pDCkJ9y6rmzIwQbwddqQ4sax8LxJvxlVfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Antonio Water System officials reported to the Municipal Utilities Committee on May 20 that a suite of customer programs, enforcement changes and targeted rebates are yielding lower per‑capita demand and fewer watering violations during the city’s drought.

\"One of them that we're just couldn't be more pleased with is the success of the Connect H2O program,\" said Karen Guz, SAWS’ vice president of conservation. Guz told the committee the program will change out about 600,000 meters by the end of the year. New meters provide near‑real‑time monitoring and can alert customers if a continuous flow persists: \"If we've got an email, we've got a mobile phone number, we are using that — if they have a continuous flow for 48 hours, they get a message from us,\" Guz said. SAWS said about 85% of the time its conservation team can walk customers through the problem over the phone and customers then fix leaks before they receive high bills.

Guz described other program outcomes and incentives: SAWS moved enforcement out of municipal court into an internal process, allowing options such as a one‑hour \"when to water\" class for first‑time violators; she said first‑time violators who take the class rarely reoffend and that repeat violations are down about 80%. SAWS reported 54% fewer violations when comparing a like period in 2023 to 2024, and that fewer than 1% of all violation cases escalate to the citizens committee.

On incentives, Guz outlined the landscape change program and coupon structure: a standard coupon plus an added $25 per 200 square feet for autumn planting, with homeowners eligible for up to four coupons per year (a potential $600 in incentives). SAWS also offers targeted commercial incentives such as parking‑lot island rebates to replace overspray irrigation with point‑source irrigation that better supports trees.

Council members asked about outreach to neighborhoods and small businesses. SAWS said it has engaged HOAs and neighborhood associations — three of five planned HOA briefings had already occurred — and is working with business stakeholder groups, building owners and the Apartment Association. The utility said it maintains a commercial account database and can sort by NAICS classification to target communications; staff added they have temporarily added callers to update business contact information during the drought.

On artificial turf and higher‑cost landscape conversions, Guz said SAWS is neutral and offers rebates where customers permanently retire irrigation systems; she noted the YMCA is discussing a large athletic‑field conversion and that commercial projects may qualify for a custom rebate. On tree canopy concerns, Guz said SAWS favors targeted point‑source irrigation to sustain trees in parking‑lot islands rather than broad spray irrigation that wastes water and does not reach root balls.

The committee also heard SAWS staff say data centers account for about 2% of commercial‑industrial water use so far, that some data centers use recycled water for cooling towers and that SAWS will provide a summary of which facilities use recycled water upon council request. No formal votes were taken; SAWS staff said the programs are ongoing and invited council collaboration on outreach and code/plan review for irrigation.","SAWS told the Municipal Utilities Committee May 20 that its Connect H2O meter changeout, education and revised enforcement process have reduced violations and helped identify household leaks; staff also described expanded rebates and HOA outreach and said some data centers are already using recycled water.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6695149,"SAWS to scale crews, leak detection and capital spending to cut water loss",1570,913000,2483000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91&start=913&end=2483","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3522283-369c14206bc88aa73935e9438d692c91/thumbnail_913000.jpg","/articles/6695149/San-Antonio/Bexar-County/Texas/SAWS-to-scale-crews-leak-detection-and-capital-spending-to-cut-water-loss","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6695149-2a891f4ad8556687d5b07ed3665a6e6a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440040&Signature=MbO7nyuzWyryQv5WhAxwRbE4328OzZEsHBrJ0wRimetdAVPadbI6JIMV~u-8QrCBieFBdGzimUwAqSIp9dubB4p-z8x6j7ZLu9rIfA1PKT3G~wNpjRYID1a8B6H-mbRpppCNyDZrro2HSwrz2wWhL0hd6zBUB6EE03C6LlkNiHvWhP3EuenKd8GZ~AJB370s0md2r0SV5wbMG5ry21oY65JSlY2U-GgIm0OMH9yPmlNJvZ4XgyAxiAXI~5wd0rWhD-8o2Z9pNbGuZaeD3xCmKyQXyaKs78Rr5rf891nT5QnuEU3eMolwNc7p2vGr5DVOrrEhVFodb5AaKN04JsZfQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Antonio Water System officials on May 20 told the Municipal Utilities Committee that reducing water loss in the distribution system is a central priority and outlined operational and capital steps to do so.

\"Main breaks are not limited to the summer months,\" SAWS said in its presentation; the utility reported a record number of leaks in March and April and said aging pipes, contracting soils and growth are key drivers. SAWS staff said the system comprises about 14,000 miles of pipe and that main‑replacement spending has increased sharply from $34 million in 2024 to $108 million in the current year, with a five‑year average budgeted at roughly $76 million through 2030.

On operational responses, SAWS said it had added more than 100 crews to respond more quickly to leaks and has reduced the backlog of outstanding repairs by about 40%. The utility also described expanding proactive leak detection work: \"We more than doubled our leak detection program,\" a SAWS operations speaker said, adding that the agency purchased new technology and tools and hired additional staff to seek buried leaks across the system.

Committee members pressed for comparative benchmarks and oversight. Councilman White said, \"This is far too much water to be losing on a daily basis,\" and asked how SAWS compares with other cities. A SAWS staff member replied comparisons are difficult because systems differ by rainfall, soils and fragmentation; the staff member said SAWS is \"generally industry standard\" on water loss but acknowledged San Antonio’s fragmented pressure zones and large elevation differences increase complexity.

Council members also raised coordination with Public Works to limit repeated pavement disruptions when SAWS must dig for repairs. SAWS said it is reviewing capital and street‑maintenance schedules with the city to align repairs and repaving where practical and that the utility has a named program director overseeing the leak‑reduction effort.

SAWS did not propose new regulatory action at the meeting but said it would continue to prioritize leak detection, main replacement and interdepartmental coordination. Staff framed the effort as long‑term and resource‑intensive: identifying underground leaks remains difficult, the utility said, and full remediation will require sustained funding and continued operational expansion.","SAWS told council members May 20 it has increased crews, doubled proactive leak detection and boosted pipe‑replacement budgets to reduce system water loss, and it urged closer coordination with Public Works to minimize repeated street disruptions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

SAWS warns six-year drought, outlines supply portfolio and leak-reduction push

SAWS: Exceptional drought prompts 2025 water-management plan and new supply projects

SAWS expands Connect H2O alerts, rebates and outreach as drought enforcement changes reduce repeat violations

SAWS to scale crews, leak detection and capital spending to cut water loss