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Regional and national news reports continue to tell a bleak story about the water crisis that predicts some states could run out of water while others scramble to identify new initiatives combatting prolonged drought. It’s a different story here in San Antonio. The community can be assured that our city is poised to manage through even the driest years and prepared to provide a plentiful water supply today and for generations to come.
Water conservation will always be a major priority for San Antonio Water System (SAWS). In conjunction with new water projects such as desalination and the Vista Ridge projects, consistent conservation efforts help ensure San Antonio’s water security.
“Water conservation, coupled with innovative resource planning, is the foundation of our efforts,” said Robert Puente, president and CEO of SAWS. “We have a wide range of programs, and water sources to cover the next half century, and most importantly a community who has partnered with us to make smart water use and conservation part of their daily lives.”
San Antonio is a national leader with help from community members, who are doing their part to prepare for the future.
There are many ways to take a proactive role in water conservation, such as using low-flush toilets and high-efficiency appliances in your home, cutting down shower time, collecting rainwater with a rain barrel, and planting drought-tolerant landscaping.
Customers can implement a multitude of rebate and incentive programs, gardening and landscaping advice, and other water-saving tips to further conservation know-how. For those who haven’t visited it, SAWS’ gardening website – GardenStyleSA.com – has attractive content to guide and inspire residential users to make landscaping changes that save water.
The future benefits of conservation are endless, but they can also make a positive impact today, such as lowering your water bill at your home or business and extending the city’s current water sources. From a community standpoint, the cheapest water is water we save, because it delays the need for new, more expensive water supply projects, as well as delays the time it takes between new sources having to come online. Without conservation, new water sources would be needed years earlier.
In addition to conservation efforts, SAWS continues to focus on other water innovations to further manage this precious resource, which include the Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR), the state-of-the-art H2Oaks Desalination Center, and the nation’s largest recycled water delivery system.
All of that commitment and investment in water conservation has given San Antonio its largest water supply to date. Currently, SAWS has 15 water projects from eight different sources. The approved Vista Ridge Pipeline project in the works will become our ninth source, giving the city 20 percent more water for the future beginning in 2020.
To get conservation tips and learn more about reducing your water footprint and other waterful solutions for the future, visit saws.org/waterful.
