SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) proposed new ideas about watering rules at an August Board of Trustees meeting as they continue to plan for conditions of drought impacting the city, according to a press release.
According to the release, SAWS Vice President of Conservation Karen Guz presented some proposed changes to include changing the enforcement from a citation to a charge on watering bills. There was also a proposed new structure of costs associated with violating watering rules with an escalating scale depending on use and drought stage, according to the release.
“We want to update the drought management watering rules to be more fair, effective, and efficient,” Guz said during the presentation. “We think it’s important to shift away from a criminal process with a citation cost that hasn’t changed in 20 years, to one that is more efficient and can apply to all SAWS customers equally.”
The release says some areas have extraordinarily high water use which has brought new emphasis to managing water demand. SAWS says portions of their water system show tank levels dropping overnight beyond normal demand due to outdoor watering. They said there was a 9% increase in water demand, something they haven't seen in 10 years.
“While most customers have followed drought rules, we need better tools to influence a small percentage of customers who use very large amounts to water their landscapes in violation of our rules,” said Guz.
SAWS says since the last updated Conservation Ordinance in 2014, the San Antonio population has surged, housing trends have shifted, water supplies have diversified and more.
Up next is a series of meeting with City Council, community members and other stakeholders, discussions which are expected to take around six to eight months.
San Antonio is currently in Stage 2 for watering rules, which means residents are allowed to water from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on their designated day.
That’s why the water company is looking for ways to change things like:
- Charging a fee on water bills for customers who violate the restrictions
- Adjusting fees based on the deeper stages of drought
- Surcharges aimed at the top 5 to 9 percent of water users during stage three restrictions
- First-time violators could take an educational course instead of paying the fee
It also helps saws enforce consequences for folks living outside of the city—which is about 50 thousand customers. SAWS says the next step is getting feedback from the community, but they hope to have these new rules in place by next summer. SAWS has issued 3000 citations this year.