For San Antonio Water System, 2024 ended on a high thanks to a new low — of 132 sewer overflows in one year, a new SAWS record.
From cleaning and inspecting every mile of sewer line to weekly strategy sessions to protect against new problems, SAWS crews work around the clock to make sure your sewage stays in the pipes where it belongs.
Grease and debris, including wipes and plastic packaging, continue to be major sources of sanitary sewer overflows, or SSOs.
“We strive to have no more than 10 SSOs per month to achieve two SSOs per 100 miles or less,” said Annette Duron, SAWS director of operations support, noting how far SAWS has come over the past decade.
In 2013, SAWS entered into an agreement with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency creating an ongoing sewer spill reduction program, to inspect and clean more than 5,200 miles of pipe and replace and repair aging infrastructure.
SAWS has one of the largest sewer systems in Texas. Even with 18% population growth, SAWS has reduced SSOs by 75% over the last 15 years.
“Not only did SAWS comply and meet all EPA requirements, but we also put best practices in place to continually improve,” said Duron.