S.A. is urged to look to gulf for more water

All of the San Antonio Water System's initiatives to get more water and reduce its total dependence on the Edwards Aquifer have failed so far or were unfortunately rejected, said Weir Labatt, who also served on the San Antonio City Council from 1986 to 1993 and was on the Edwards Aquifer Authority board.

“I think SAWS ought to crank up and put a plant on the coast,” he said, adding that he was not speaking for the state board.

His suggestion was directed at SAWS President and CEO Robert Puente, his fellow panelist at the forum and a former state representative.

The cost of water from such a plant would be more than 10 times that of aquifer water, Puente said.

“That's finance science fiction today,” he said.

SAWS' water plan includes a seawater desalination plant, but not until 2060. Construction estimates for a plant and miles of pipeline are as high as $1.2 billion.

The panel discussion, recorded for broadcast later by KLRN and KSTX, was hosted by the San Antonio Clean Technology Forum and opened with comments by San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio.

In the audience were members of the House Natural Resources Committee and water planners from the region.

The forum comes at a critical juncture for water planning. More than 70 stakeholders representing cities, industry, farmers and environmentalists are looking for solutions to protect the endangered species of the Comal and San Marcos springs by controlling pumping and management of the aquifer.