The San Antonio City Council unanimously approved new drought rules that will have SAWS do away with city-issued citations.
SAWS plans to charge water use violators a fee directly on their bill, freeing them of the obligation to go to court.Thursday that will have the San Antonio Water System do away with city-issued citations that require residents and businesses to pay a $137 fee and go to municipal court.
The new rules will also change how SAWS’ Stage 3 and 4 restrictions are triggered; implement a drought surcharge on high-use customers in Stage 3 and beyond; shift SAWS’ allotted watering hours; and put limits on how often customers are allowed to run their drip irrigation systems during drought. “These changes create a more fair and efficient system for all of our customers — even those that reside outside of San Antonio city limits,” said SAWS Vice President of Conservation Karen Guz. “San Antonio is in the fifth year of drought, and we are seeing Edwards Aquifer water levels continue to drop.”
Drip irrigation is a “very important component” of the new rules, said Laurie Casias, a public commenter Thursday who identified herself as the owner of a local landscaping company, Best Landscapes LLC. Casias thanked SAWS for compromising on how often to allow drip irrigation under the new rules. Commercial customers will also be subject to surcharges but the thresholds will be determined by the meter size.
In years past, SAWS aligned with the authority’s trigger points for Stages 1 and 2 when it came to implementing the utility’s own drought restrictions, Because the Edwards Aquifer Authority currently has the San Antonio area under Stage 4 pumping restrictions, SAWS will begin the process of implementing its new Stage 3 with a public notice, Hayden said. The new drought stage will be effective sometime late next week, Hayden added.
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