The recent City Council kerfuffle over year-round watering restrictions should not be the end of the matter. The current San Antonio Water System rate structure encourages wasting water by subsidizing large water users. This amounts to a tax on ordinary people to pay for water projects that do not benefit them. A close look at residential water use and the rate structure shows that SAWS is going down the wrong road.
Outdoor water use accounts for about one-third of SAWS’ water production each year. In 2011 – the hottest, driest year in San Antonio’s history – nearly half of all SAWS’ water was used for landscape watering. Using drinking-quality water for landscape is a foolish waste. Many sensible homeowners are converting their water-thirsty landscape to drought-tolerant native plants, removing automatic spray irrigation, and investing in rainwater collection. They are making sure they are prepared for the future… Read more from the Rivard Report