No rate increase for former BexarMet customers in 2012

SAWS and former BexarMet crews work shoulder-to-shoulder on a water service interconnect between the two systems in the Stone Oak area.

San Antonio Water System today provided an update to the Joint Committee on Oversight of Bexar Metropolitan Water District on the integration of the two systems. With the BexarMet dissolution approved by the federal government earlier this year, SAWS has up to five years to completely integrate the former BexarMet system.

SAWS briefed the Oversight Committee that it has been able to create a new budget for BexarMet that – as committed – would keep the former utility's customer rates the same in 2012. In addition, former BexarMet employees, whose salaries have been unchanged for the past several years, will receive a 2.5 percent pay raise.

Significant advances are being made in merging the two utilities: monitoring equipment and email systems have already been merged. Some former BexarMet service areas have been connected to nearby SAWS infrastructure to ensure an affordable, reliable source of water. Anaqua Springs no longer requires water to be trucked to the area.

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San Antonio Water System is working for the first time with Canyon Regional Water Authority (CRWA) to conduct maintenance activities on the Lake Dunlap pipeline system serving the region, including 15,000 customers in a portion of northeast San Antonio formerly served by BexarMet.

CRWA provides surface water from Lake Dunlap to 11 local communities, including Cibolo, parts of San Marcos and Seguin, and a portion of northeast San Antonio formerly served by the BexarMet. Periodic maintenance is recommended to clean the pipes that deliver water from Lake Dunlap. CRWA and BexarMet last performed this maintenance approximately three years ago.

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On Jan. 26, San Antonio Water System received notification that the U.S. Department of Justice cleared election results allowing dissolution of BexarMet. In November, 74 percent of BexarMet ratepayers voted to dissolve the utility and consolidate it into SAWS. Read More »

BexarMet Water District received notification this week that it would be receiving the Leadership Circle Award for the third year in a row from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts office.  The award is for successfully  implementing financial transparency on BexarMet’s website and local government.

Annette Holmes, regional representative for the Texas Comptroller’s office, wrote, “I am pleased to inform you that the Bexar Metropolitan Water District has earned a SILVER Leadership Circle Award by scoring 13  of 20 possible points on our ratings criteria.  The silver insignia indicating that you have earned this award will be added to your listing on our Texas Transparency website.” 

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     Stage 2 water restrictions are ending as of Wednesday, January 4, 2012, according to a statement released by San Antonio City Manager Cheryl Sculley.  Stage 1 restrictions will be in place and will remain as long as the level of the J-17 Edwards Aquifer Monitoring well remains above 650.0 feet.  BexarMet entered Stage 1 restrictions on April 12, 2011 and hit Stage 2 restrictions on May 31, 2011.  This marks the first time in San Antonio history that the city has begun the year on mandatory water restrictions.

     The water level at the J-17 monitor well hit 650.7 feet on December 3, 2011 and began the 30-day countdown during which the aquifer level had to remain above 650.0 feet for 30 consecutive days.  Although Stage 2 restrictions are lifted, Stage 1 restrictions remain in place.  In order for Stage 1 to be cancelled, the level of the aquifer must remain above 660.0 feet for 30 consecutive days.

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As 2011 comes to a close, the San Antonio region, including all BexarMet service areas, remains under Stage 2 watering restrictions.  Thankfully, local lawns and landscapes don’t need weekly watering as they do in the summer.   However, looking ahead to 2012 takes Bexar and surrounding counties into uncharted territory.

Typically, winter is a time for aquifer levels to rebound and cause cancellation of mandatory water restrictions until early summer.  However, for the first time since water restrictions became a reality in San Antonio, the area will begin a calendar year on Stage 2 restrictions.  According to a recent newspaper article, 2012 will mark the first time that farmers to the west of Bexar County will begin their annual irrigation season with some sort of mandatory water restrictions in effect.

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     The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) recently announced that the city-owned utility has hired a former SAWS President /CEO to manage and oversee the utility’s upcoming integration with the BexarMet Water District. Joe Aceves was selected as Project Manager and will work as a consultant on a part-time basis for SAWS, working to make sure the transition is as seamless as possible for both current BexarMet customers and employees.

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With three months remaining in the 2011-12 winter averaging window, BexarMet Water District is encouraging all residential water customers to continue their best efforts to conserve water with the goal of reducing their wastewater charges in 2012.

            Winter averaging is the practice by which water utilities measure domestic water use during a specific winter period in order to develop the calculation for a customer’s sewer charges during the following year.  The winter period is widely accepted as the time of year when outdoor water use is the lowest and most water used in the home is being used indoors.  The winter averaging period in San Antonio started November 15, 2011 and ends March 15, 2012.

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     Winter has come early to south Texas and BexarMet is reminding all customers to be sure their pipes, plants and pets are protected from freezing weather.  Follow a few easy steps to assure that your home and surroundings is not affected by the freeze.

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     BexarMet Water District (BexarMet) wants to inform residents in the Bulverde Hills Public Water System regarding Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) levels in your water supply. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has notified BexarMet Bulverde Hills Public Water System (PWS) I.D. 0460013 that the drinking water supplied to customers has exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) as set forth in the TCEQ Drinking Water Quality Standards for TTHMs. A written notice was mailed to all Bulverde Hills customers as of November 28, 2011.

------- This is not an emergency and you “do not” need to use an alternative water supply. ------- Read More »