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 outh Texas is growing rapidly, increasing opportunities for families and residents who depend on a flourishing economy to prosper. Sometimes with growth comes change, and that may not be an easy challenge to meet. But most of us agree that growth and change are necessary for our region to thrive.
In our region, developing alternative water supplies is critical to our future. As growth transforms our community, SAWS is looking at many different solutions to secure future water sources. One way is to lease available water from property owners who have the right to lease their own water.
The Regional Carrizo Water Supply Program is a long-term water supply project that will help provide water from the Carrizo Aquifer in portions of Wilson and Gonzales counties to Bexar County. San Antonio Water System has been granted permits from the Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District for Carrizo Aquifer wells that would produce 11,687 acre-feet* of water annually.
SAWS has also discussed the potential purchase of water that is surplus to the current needs of its regional neighbors – investing in neighboring communities by becoming a paying customer of regional utilities. Up to 5,550 acre-feet of additional supply could be added to the project, for a total supply to San Antonio of up to 17,237 acre-feet per year.
* One acre-foot is the volume of water necessary to cover an acre 1 foot deep. One acre-foot equals 43,560 cubic feet, 325,851 gallons or 12 acre-inches. |
