This story has been updated.
Despite the heavy downpours that kicked off this weekend, ongoing drought conditions have kept San Antonio under water restrictions.
The Edwards Aquifer Authority, which determines water access for permit holders including the San Antonio Water System, downgraded its restrictions to a Stage 4 from more limiting Stage 5 that was implemented about a week ago. But officials warn we are not out of the weeds just yet.
“Since 2020, when this drought began, we have this rainfall deficit of 55 inches,” said Steven Siebert, San Antonio Water System’s manager of water resources, during a Municipal Utilities Committee presentation on May 27. “So we would need about another 25 rain events like yesterday to pull us back to average conditions.”
Under Stage 4 restrictions, the authority reduces withdrawals from the aquifer by 40 percent for the San Antonio area, meaning SAWS has reduced access to this water resource.
But not much changes for San Antonio residents as SAWS has kept its Stage 3 water use restrictions. This stage prohibits water waste such as lawn watering overspray and runoff, and limits irrigation with an irrigation system, sprinklers or soaker hoses to once a week between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. or between 9 p.m. and midnight. Drip irrigation systems are allowed to operate on Mondays and Fridays during these same time periods and hand-held hose is allowed at any time.
Each residence has a designated watering day linked to the last digit of the address.
According to recent data, the levels of the Edwards Aquifer have reached a record low set in the 1950s during the most severe drought in Texas in the 1950s, Siebert said. This led to the recent Stage 5 restrictions, which had cut SAWS access by 44 percent.
“This is about as bad as a drought can get, what we are experiencing today,” he said.
Diversifying water sources with projects such as the expansion of the recycled water system and reducing loss by addressing main breaks, are key to ensure that the city can meet the water needs of the growing number of residents, he added.
“A significant objective of the 2025 water management plan is to reduce water loss throughout the distribution system,” Siebert said. “Our goal is to achieve a 50 percent water loss reduction by 2035.”
Karen Guz, vice president of conservation for SAWS, told the committee that current conservation efforts have been successful through education, community outreach and enforcement. Violations linked to water conservation decreased by 54 percent between 2023 and 2024, she said.
“I credit a lot of that to people just understanding what is happening,” Guz said.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated that SAWS is reducing water loss by addressing sewer overflows. The utility is working to reduce water main breaks.
