The San Antonio Water System plans to boost charges over the following 5 years to fund $3.2 billion in system enhancements.
Precisely how rather more will prospects pay on their water invoice? The town’s public utility doesn’t know but.
San Antonio Metropolis Council will finally resolve whether or not to boost water charges. On the identical time, metropolis leaders are contemplating electrical energy and property tax charges, which implies San Antonio households could should take care of a number of value will increase.
At a Wednesday council assembly, SAWS officers introduced why they intend to boost charges, which included suggestions from a latest value of service examine performed by Carollo, a water and fee advisor headquartered in California.
SAWS officers have mentioned charges might enhance from $60.41 to $65.17 for the common residential invoice, climbing by a mean of $4.77 a 12 months to $79.47 by 2029.
“Carollo recommends a complete of just about 30% will increase in potable water fee income over the following 5 years, whereas recommending greater than 35% in cumulative wastewater fee revenues through the interval 2026 to 2030,” mentioned Doug Evanson, SAWS chief monetary officer. “These should not last fee suggestions, only a abstract of the speed examine findings.”
After listening to suggestions from council members — and there was loads of suggestions — SAWS Chairwoman Jelynne LeBlanc-Jamison mentioned employees would take one other take a look at what must be funded to cowl previous and future adjustments to its budge.
SAWS final elevated charges in 2020, she mentioned. Since then, prices from Winter Storm Uri, COVID-19 billing adjustments and leakage prevention have impacted SAWS. The utility wants income to cowl these adjustments, LeBlanc-Jamison mentioned.
SAWS additionally desires to fund $3.2 billion for infrastructure enhancements earlier than 2030. Jamison mentioned these enhancements will stop vital failures. The utility desires to exchange 56 miles of water mains and 400 miles of sewer mains. In October, Evanson mentioned 1 / 4 of that cash may very well be used on upgrades for therapy vegetation.
LeBlanc-Jamison mentioned SAWS employees would overview tasks within the $3.2 billion plan to find out which of them are completely obligatory to forestall system failures.
Council members requested for specifics on the place the cash can be spent, how SAWS might enhance its providers and the way charges are structured.
San Antonio Metropolis Council members have scrutinized the utility’s report of leaks — SAWS misplaced over 20 billion gallons of water in 2023. Officers have elevated staffing to stem the flows, however council members wished assurances that SAWS might meet its objective, which is to chop misplaced water by half over the following 10 years.
“I’m not inherently against fee will increase, however they have to be warranted,” mentioned Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito (D7).
Council members additionally wished extra element for a way enhancements would have an effect on residents’ day-to-day lives.
“My district has numerous older infrastructure. If numerous work just isn’t going to be performed in our space of city, residents can say, ‘Why am I going to pay extra to probably not get a direct advantages in our normal space,’” mentioned Councilman Edward Mungia (D4).
“We’re joyful to provide the checklist of tasks that fall in your council districts, however I might simply ask all of you to do not forget that it’s half of a bigger system, and the flexibleness isn’t essentially there that you’ve with transferring these tasks round as a result of they’re linked to the general system,” LeBlanc-Jamison replied.
Council members additionally requested SAWS to have a look at its fee construction — Phyllis Viagran (D3) and Misty Spears (D9) had been anxious about excessive water use.
“If now we have a house that’s utilizing greater than 18,000 gallons, I’m able to cost them extra,” Viagran mentioned.
A regular rest room flush makes use of about 1.6 gallons of water, whereas most showers use 2 gallons of water per minute, based on the Environmental Safety Company. Spears additionally requested about an operational overview or audit of SAWS and wished to see how a lot utility executives had been being paid.
In the meantime, Councilman Ric Galvan (D6) requested if SAWS would contemplate charging the business prospects who use extra water greater charges, notably in the event that they had been utilizing a lot of the area within the metropolis’s pipes.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones joined council members who requested SAWS to search for further income. Council members requested about connecting to potential prospects who had been nonetheless on septic techniques or promoting extra water wholesale exterior the town.
These sorts of adjustments might require constructing extra pipes, LeBlanc-Jamison mentioned, an extra expense.
SAWS additionally held up its latest historical past of steady charges, in addition to its prices in comparison with different utilities, when making its case for adjustments.
The utility says it has not elevated charges since 2019, though it did alter charges in 2023 to extend charges for business and excessive utilization prospects whereas decreasing charges for many residential prospects, notably low-income households utilizing the decrease charges of the Uplift Program. Evanson, the utility’s chief monetary officer, mentioned that meant 80% of consumers have skilled decrease prices since 2023.
Whereas San Antonio has tried to maintain charges steady, Evanson mentioned, Austin, Dallas, Fort Price and Houston have elevated their charges, on common, by 31% for purchasers utilizing 6,000 gallons of water monthly.
