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Infrastructure and Water Resources

Moving Forward

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When it comes to protecting the environment, we’ll put our track record up against any other water utility. SAWS employees, who insist on doing things right the first time around, are among the most “earth friendly” folks in the country.

Here are some of this year’s examples of our commitment to the environment:

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named the Dos Rios Water Recycling Center (WRC) the nation’s number one facility for excellence in operations and maintenance.
  
  
• The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) awarded SAWS’ Conservation Department with the President’s National Environmental Excellence Award – a “best of the best” national accolade for public and private firms.
  
  
• The International Erosion Control Association recognized SAWS’ Resource Protection and Compliance Department for demonstrating excellence in natural resource conservation and environmental protection.
  
  
• We made wastewater construction projects over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone (EARZ) a top priority. Following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements, SAWS launched an aggressive sewer line monitoring and capital improvement program for part of the City’s sewer system located on the EARZ. More than $9 million was earmarked for repairs in order to maintain a secure system over the environmentally sensitive area, and approximately 600,000 feet of sewer main (or 113 miles) were televised for condition status.
  
  
• Our operations and maintenance crews were applauded with certificates of commendation from the San Antonio City Council for quickly and professionally managing the city’s second worst sewer main break along Salado Creek and Nacogdoches Road.
  
  
• In the fall of 2004, SAWS – with assistance from the National Audubon Society – turned a former sludge lagoon into a world-class bird and wildlife sanctuary. The Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is not only a significant environmental achievement, it’s also an exceptional ecological site that will serve as a vital educational and recreational resource for South Texas.
  
  
• Thanks to the conservation efforts of our ratepayers, water use in 2004 dropped to 129 gallons per person per day (normalized for average weather conditions). The total annual consumption of water by all SAWS customers combined has not increased since 1992, despite a population increase of more than 300,000.
  
  
• We completed our three-year EPA grant-funded program to plug 133 abandoned wells, eliminating possible pollution sources and saving millions of gallons of water.

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