San Antonio Water System customers are now under Stage 2 watering rules as SAWS officials cited a dropping aquifer level and continuing hot, dry conditions.
The launch of Stage 2 water conservation rules comes as SAWS begins seeking public input on an effort to update its long-term water management plan.
Additionally, the water utility will also start installing new water meters citywide.
Water conservation
SAWS officials this week said San Antonio had been under Stage 1 watering rules for about one month, but drought-like conditions had caused the 10-day average level of the Edwards Aquifer J-17 monitoring well to drop below 650 feet.
This, SAWS officials said, triggered Stage 2 watering rules, which restricts the use of an irrigation system, sprinkler or soaker hose to once a week only between 7-11 a.m. or between 7-11 p.m. on the property owner’s designated watering day determined by their address.
According to other Stage 2 rules, watering with drip irrigation or a 5-gallon bucket is permitted any day between 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m.
Watering with a handheld hose is allowed any time on any day, SAWS said. SAWS also said all residential fountains and indoor commercial fountains may continue to operate at any stage of drought.
However, outdoor commercial fountains must have a SAWS-granted variance in order to operate during drought stages 1-4, SAWS said.
Other Stage 2 rules can be found at www.saws.org/conservation/drought-restrictions/stage-2.
According to a SAWS news release, SAWS customers should not worry about the water supply given the Edwards Aquifer represents about half of the city’s available drinking water and is one of the utilities’ 10 water sources.
Water planning
SAWS has also begun a public engagement process toward updating its long-range water management plan.
The public engagement process involves gathering community input online, via email and through online and in-person meetings, according to a SAWS news release.
The first virtual meeting was held April 13 with follow-up online meetings scheduled for 6 p.m. April 18 and 10 a.m. April 26.
Visitors to SAWS’ plan website, http://watercitysa.com, are invited take a quick survey and can also email feedback at [email protected], water system officials said.
SAWS officials recently said the plan spells out how best to provide a sustainable water service to SAWS’s growing service area population.
“Water management and supply planning is the foundation of our region’s economy and necessities of our daily lives,” said Donovan Burton, SAWS vice president of water resources and governmental relations. “Broad-based public input is critical to that process.”
SAWS said an updated water management plan draft will be available for community review this fall before the SAWS board considers it for approval prior to the end of the year.
New water meters
Additionally, SAWS is set to begin a multiyear effort to replace nearly 600,000 water meters across its service area.
In an April 1 news release, SAWS said the ConnectH20 electronic meters will allow the utility to “read” the new devices every hour instead of every month, which has been the practice with existing water meters.
The rollout is set to begin in May, according to SAWS Communications Manager Anne Hayden.
It will take three years to roll out the new meters to all 550,000 water customers in the city, Hayden said.
The ConnectH2O meters are read automatically each hour instead of once a month in an effort to help customers better understand water use and prevent unexpected high water bills, according to the SAWS news release.
As SAWS meter replacement teams move through San Antonio neighborhoods, residents will be kept informed, Hayden said.
Once meters are installed, residents will be able to check hourly rates through their online account portal at myaccount.saws.org and can receive alerts if water use is exceeding normal use.
Tricia Schwennesen contributed to this report.
