SAN ANTONIO – A rate hike proposed by the San Antonio Water System could see customers paying more for their bill.
SAWS is proposing rate increases in increments between now and 2029 to collect enough money from customers to help fund more than $3 billion in capital improvements to its water and wastewater systems.
SAWS customers currently have an average bill of just under $57 a month. If approved, that average would rise to just over $75 a month by 2029, a roughly 32% increase.
The proposal would increase rates by roughly 7% each year over the four-year period. The change is described as about a $4 increase on the monthly bill each month for the next four years.
During a public hearing held to discuss the proposed rate increases, one speaker addressed concerns about the size of the planned work, saying, “The central concern that i’ve heard. whether or not this 3.2 billion capital improvement program is simply too large and complex for deliver. i want to assure you that it is not.”
City Council will make the final decision on the proposal this summer. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, a member of the SAWS board, also weighed in, saying, “I think much of this we just don’t really have a choice in having to make these investments, given the state of some of this equipment, but also the necessary investments to keep up with demand.”
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The public hearing was the first step in the process. The SAWS board is expected to vote on whether to approve the proposal at a meeting next month. If the board approves it and City Council signs off, SAWS officials hope to begin the rate changes by July 1.
