The San Antonio Water System plans to ask for a fee improve subsequent 12 months to assist fund $3.2 billion in system enhancements by 2030.
San Antonio Metropolis Council members weighed in at a Wednesday assembly, discussing how charges would have an effect on low-income prospects and the general public utility’s latest work to cut back leakages and enhance responsiveness.
SAWS is asking for its first fee improve since 2020 to enhance its water therapy services. The utility needs to place $1.7 billion into its wastewater system and $1.1 billion into its water system by 2030. One other $318 million could be invested into constructing out its water provide.
The speed improve wouldn’t be a part of a SAWS funds that can be introduced to metropolis council members in November. SAWS needed to delay its fee improve to let San Antonio’s new Metropolis Council concentrate on town funds.
Each city-owned utilities have taken steps to keep away from contentious rate-hike votes main as much as a metropolis election 12 months — that means the timing is now ripe, when members aren’t on the poll once more till 2029.
Gavino Ramos, the utility’s senior vp of communication, stated SAWS was finishing a research on its charges and wishes to determine how far more to cost its prospects. The utility serves 511,300 water prospects and 457,600 wastewater prospects throughout Bexar, Medina and Atascosa counties, in accordance with its web site.
SAWS is scheduled to current an interim funds by the top of 2025, which is able to embrace public hearings on Oct. 7 and Nov. 4. Then, SAWS plans to conduct public outreach with neighborhood teams throughout town earlier than formally asking metropolis council members to approve greater charges in January or February.
If accepted, Ramos stated, the speed improve might be in place throughout the first three months of 2026. That’s a tough estimate, he added.
“It’s very fluid,” Ramos stated.
In a presentation to metropolis council members, SAWS chief monetary officer Doug Evanson stated the costliest enhancements deliberate have been $828 million for therapy services, together with town’s three water recycling vegetation, and $608 million for changing sewer mains. One other $460 million could be allotted to water predominant replacements.
SAWS officers are centered on therapy services.
“What’s driving our fee improve for this coming 12 months are our wastewater therapy vegetation,” stated SAWS President Robert Puente. “Now we have to make main upgrades.”
SAWS’s plan would see the utility spending greater than $600 million a 12 months between 2026 and 2030 on varied enhancements. Round $327 million of enhancements initially scheduled for 2026 could be pushed again to later years because of the interim funds course of.
Evanson stated the utility’s purpose, significantly with enhancements to therapy services, was to keep away from costly issues down the street and additional regulation.
“Failure to make enhancements may end in allow violations and will set off extra environmental oversight,” Evanson stated.
SAWS additionally wanted greater charges to keep up its low rates of interest when it borrows cash, Evanson added. To keep up a excessive bond score, he stated, SAWS wants to regulate charges.
Council members have been involved about how charges would have an effect on residents and needed to see the place SAWS would concentrate on enhancements. A number of council members requested for extra knowledge about the place getting old infrastructure is positioned and the place SAWS would focus its efforts.
Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito (D7) added that it was onerous to speak to residents about fee will increase or water conservation efforts when those self same residents seen main leaks.
“It’s embarrassing to lose that a lot of your stock,” Puente responded. “We’re addressing it and people numbers are taking place.”
He stated they have been working to enhance conservation packages and had invested in lowering leakages by means of extra work crews. Response instances to non-emergency points have dropped from two weeks in 2023 to 2 or three days in 2025, in accordance with knowledge from SAWS.
Councilman Marc Whyte (D10) requested if a few of these modifications, in addition to enhancements round meters and elevated effectivity, might be handed on to ratepayers and assist decrease utility payments. He additionally requested about an audit of SAWS operations.
“One thing the place a 3rd get together is available in, critiques what’s occurring and offers you an concept, and us, of what SAWS can do higher,” Whyte stated. “Whenever you’re asking residents to pay extra, it’s maybe simpler to take action if an audit like this, like I’m suggesting, has been finished.”
SAWS Chairwoman Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison stated it will be troublesome to get an audit finished earlier than a fee improve is introduced in early 2026, however added that SAWS has evaluated its work and effectivity in areas like meter deployment.
SAWS officers additionally briefly answered questions on a proposal to maneuver a cooling plant close to Hemisfair to make method for Challenge Marvel. This challenge just isn’t included within the utility’s $3.2 billion plan for enhancements.
SAWS senior vp and chief of workers Jaime Castillo stated a research is being performed to find out the ultimate value of that challenge, however they count on the transfer will value SAWS greater than $200 million.
