SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Water System said the rush to get bottled water amid the coronavirus outbreak is not necessary as the city’s water is safe to drink.

“Public water systems such as SAWS meet stringent state and federal standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality unlike bottled water companies. That includes confirming that sufficient chlorine levels to ensure safety are maintained throughout the system every day,” SAWS said in a news release.

“Between the quality of our source water, the chlorine disinfection, and chlorine testing, there is no concern about coronavirus being transmitted through our public water system,” said Gavino Ramos, vice president of Communications & External Affairs, in a statement.

SAWS said people who use wipes should throw them in the trash can, not the toilet, whether they be disinfecting or personal wipes. The utility company said flushing wipes causes sewer problems for customers and SAWS workers.

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.