SAN ANTONIO — This summer, hundreds of paying renters were impacted by water shutoffs after San Antonio Water System (SAWS) initiated two rounds of disconnections. It was part of an effort to pressure delinquent landlords to pay their bills.
However, two San Antonio City Council members argue the move hurt blameless tenants the most.
“It’s a real threat to the health and safety of our residents,” said District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez. “Constituents were calling me saying, ‘Hey, I am on a ventilator and my water is going to be shutdown.’ Right now, SAWS is using this Machiavellian-type tactic of, ‘We are going to use you as pawns to collect debt and it’s good because we get paid.’ It’s not in line with the values of our city.”
District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito says her office has been fielding calls from fearful renters.
“We have residents thinking this a council action, that this was mandated,” said Gavito. “We are saying, ‘This is not, this is a method taken up by SAWS.’ It’s a heartbreaking situation and we need to properly care for the tenants who did nothing wrong.”
In June, SAWS temporarily disconnected service to four apartment complexes that had collectively racked up more than $200,000 in unpaid bills.
In July, the city’s water provider threatened to disconnect service at six more apartments that owned between $15,000 and $40,000.
KENS 5 spoke with frustrated tenants who paid their bills while their landlords did not.
“I have two kids, so I don't know how it's going to be without water,” said Jamie Foster, who lives at the Executive Apartments off De Chantle Road. “I am very concerned for everybody; everybody that has children, old people. I'm very worried because usually when people lose water, they have to go to Walmart and buy big jugs of water. We have to pay out of pocket, but we're paying for water.”
SAWS previously called the shutoffs “successful” since most property managers re-entered a payment plan or paid their bills in full.
McKee-Rodriguez and Gavito agree SAWS needs to be paid by delinquent landlords, but they believe there’s a better way to approach the issue.
On Wednesday, the two city leaders released a Council Consideration Request (CCR). It would prevent SAWS from disconnecting service to apartment complexes, and would instead encourage the city to publicly name the problem landlords. The request also allows the city’s inspections program to impose their own penalties.
“We are proposing that they charge an [annual] $100 flat fee for every single apartment unit that the landlord is in charge of,” said Gavito. “We feel this policy proposal gives teeth to say, ‘Hey landlords, we are going to start holding you accountable.’”
This proposal has not gone before the city council yet, but it already has support from three other council members.
We reached out to SAWS for comment and are waiting to hear back.