Ensuring high quality water for future generations

Just a few years ago, San Antonio was totally dependent on day-to-day pumping from the Edwards Aquifer for the city’s water needs. Now, as a result of extensive planning and funding through the Water Supply Fee, SAWS is working to secure San Antonio’s water future with 15 water projects from eight different sources. That means we can guarantee a clean, plentiful supply of water for at least 50 years.

These eight water sources help maximize our existing drinking water resources: Edwards Aquifer, Twin Oaks Aquifer Storage and Recovery, Trinity Aquifer, Canyon Lake, Carrizo Aquifer, Lake Dunlap/Wells Ranch, Wilcox Aquifer, and Medina Lake.

Texas is prone to drought, which is why SAWS goes to great lengths to prepare us for a dry season. San Antonio is protected when we go without rain because of the water planning efforts from SAWS. Even in times of heavy rains, SAWS and the people of San Antonio must practice conservation to safeguard our future.

Some of the ways San Antonio gets its water

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  • The approved Vista Ridge Pipeline will become our ninth source, giving the city 20 percent more water for the future beginning 2020.
  • SAWS’ Desalination Plant, which opened in 2017, processes and desalinates salty water pumped from underground resulting in 12 million gallons of clean, drinkable water every day for the people of San Antonio.
  • Aquifer Storage & Recovery stores more than 44 billion gallons of drinking water underground for use in times of drought.

From the Blog