Bexar County is in exceptional drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor and many of...
It’s February, but it feels like spring. Warm weather and high water usage are leading to worrying Edwards Aquifer levels. Many San Antonians are conserving water, but not all, and that has a collective cost.San Antonio high temperatures have hovered near 90 degrees this week. That is the average high temperature for May and approximately 20 degrees hotter than normal.
A quick look at the numbers tells us how we got here. In 2022, San Antonio received only 11.5 inches of rainfall, less than half of our normal amount and only one inch more than 1917, the driest year on record. Surprisingly, the city received six more inches of rain in 2011, which was slightly hotter than 2022.
Aquifer levels and SAWS pumping data provide important information about the impacts of our behavior. Edwards Aquifer water levels are not this low solely because of drought. Our water use determines how much water is removed. While San Antonio is known for our conservation efforts, the summer of 2022 showed us that not everyone is playing by the same rulebook in terms of water use.
First, much of this high water use was unlawful and in violation of the drought rules. Some continued use even after citations were issued. More importantly, water is a shared resource. Today’s water use drives future water supply decisions, so large water users can force high-cost investments that will financially burden all ratepayers. Lastly, this is not who we are as a city.
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