The changes are part of a new effort to crack down on utility customers who ignore watering restrictions during periods of drought.
SAWS plans to charge water use violators a fee directly on their bill, freeing them of the obligation to go to court.
SAWS staff noted these changes were spurred on in part by exceptionally high water use in 2022 and 2023.Success! You're on the list. Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who serves as a trustee in his official capacity, commended the changes Tuesday, calling them “long overdue.” Repeat offenders will be charged an increasing fixed rate for each violation. First-time offenders will have the option of waiving the fixed charge if they take an online education course, however, if they take the course and are found in violation again they will still be charged at the rate for a second violation, Guz said.
In years past, SAWS aligned with the authority’s trigger points for Stages 1 and 2 when it came to implementing the utility’s own drought restrictions,, with SAWS being able to decide unilaterally when to start them. Since implementing the stages system 20-plus years ago, SAWS has never declared Stage 3 restrictions for its customers, much less Stage 4 — despite severe droughts in recent years that sent the authority into its own Stages 3 and 4.
Commercial customers will also be subject to surcharges but the thresholds will be determined by the meter size, Guz explained. An extensive rate analysis found 20,000 gallons per month is a good threshold, Guz said, adding that 90% to 95% of water bills are lower than this level.SAWS is also proposing new watering rules for when customers can use their irrigation systems, with the intention of helping CPS Energy and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas see lower energy demand during peak hours.
“If SAWS can shift those watering hours for when most outdoor water is used from automatic irrigation to 9 p.m. to midnight, it helps us contribute to shoring up the grid in the summer,” Guz said, noting SAWS is one of CPS Energy’s biggest power users. “SAWS has to use a surprising amount of power to move water — water is heavy.” If you’ve ever had to carry water you know it’s very heavy.
SAWS will also seek to improve the life and use of new irrigation systems by requiring any irrigation newly attached to SAWS water services must follow all state and city standards, Guz noted.
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