City Council votes unanimously for water, sewer rate increases

Click through the gallery to see how one of the largest water transfers in Texas history could impact your water bill. Click through the gallery to see how one of the largest water transfers in Texas history could impact your water bill. Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close City Council votes unanimously for water, sewer rate increases 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

The City Council voted unanimously this afternoon in favor of rate increases for water and sewer service, with a portion of the money eventually going to fund the controversial Vista Ridge pipeline.

Council members spent hours listening to residents and questioning SAWS President and CEO Robert Puente about plans to ensure low-income residents can sign up for the utility’s affordability program and efforts to continue water conservation in the future.

Adding to the heated debate over the higher rates was the pipeline, which will carry water to San Antonio from 142 miles away, farther than any other water project in the city’s history. The pipeline is expected to deliver 16.3 billions gallons of water a year from an aquifer below Burleson County.

District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino secured a commitment from Puente to meet with council members every six months to monitor the effects of rate increases and the affordability program.

District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg proposed requiring SAWS and pipeline builder Abengoa to set up a fund to help Burleson County residents pay for repairs if the project harms their water wells.

The only council member who didn’t vote was Ray Lopez of District 6, who was absent on a trade trip to Japan.

Vista Ridge has weathered a wave of opposition that grew more vocal ahead of the SAWS board of trustees vote on Oct. 27 to endorse the rate restructuring, sending it to City Council for final approval.

The rate hikes would also pay for a plant now under construction in South Bexar County to treat salty groundwater — another new source of supply — and sewer improvements required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as other projects.

SAWS’ rates have climbed nearly every year for residential and large-scale users since 2006, utility records show.

The new rates will take effect Jan. 1, and SAWS has forecasted that bills will continue to rise so that the average residential user will see a 50 percent higher monthly water and sewer bill by 2020.

Check out ExpressNews.com later today to see how much your bill will go up and read more about the council’s vote.

Read in-depth coverage of the pipeline at ExpressNews.com.