The Future Of Water In San Antonio: An Evaluation Of Ways To Meet Demand By 2070

As climate change progresses, the city of San Antonio, Texas is likely to face increasing stress on its water supplies. While the city’s water utility, the San Antonio Water System, has planned several projects to bolster the city’s supplies, these are unlikely to be enough in the face of San Antonio’s growing population and the future reduction of the Edwards Aquifer’s recharge. As such, this article evaluates three additional options for meeting San Antonio’s projected 2070 water demand according to their cost-efficiency, additional benefits and drawbacks, and likeliness of gaining public acceptance. Making San Antonio’s drought-period water restrictions permanent would only satisfy a fraction of the future water deficit, while either city-wide rainwater harvesting or a new reservoir project would more than compensate for the deficit. A reservoir project would be a far more cost- efficient option, while city-wide rainwater harvesting would provide flood mitigation, avoid disrupting riparian habitat, and would be more likely to be accepted by the residents of San Antonio, particularly in light of the earlier failed Applewhite Dam and Reservoir Project. As such, city-wide rainwater harvesting was evaluated as the most viable option, with a reservoir still being possible if San Antonio’s leaders could successfully convince the public of its utility.