San Antonio City Council Approves SAWS Vista Ridge Contract

In a unanimous vote, San Antonio City Council approved the contract to bring 16.3 billion gal of new non-Edwards Aquifer water annually for 30 years, and then own the pipeline.

The contract, between San Antonio Water System (SAWS) and Vista Ridge Consortium, will require the transport of water from Burleson County to San Antonio through a 142-mile pipeline. Council approval of the contract is the last step in a process that has been under consideration for more than three years.

The Vista Ridge Consortium now has up to 30 months to arrange financing followed by 42 months to construct the project. SAWS payments to Vista Ridge will not begin until the project is delivering water.

The Vista Ridge Consortium is a partnership between Abengoa and BlueWater Systems, which has assembled 3,400 leases for water rights with local landowners in Burleson and Milam counties.

Under the terms of the contract, San Antonio will not pay for any water that is not made available for delivery, shifting major regulatory risks to the private developer instead of San Antonio ratepayers.

"This is a landmark day for San Antonio," said Berto Guerra, SAWS chairman. "With this agreement we are moving from a city perceived to lack water supplies to a city that will ensure economic prosperity for our children and grandchildren. And we will be able to do this while fulfilling our commitment to protect the Edwards Aquifer, even in times of drought."

During the deepest stage of drought, San Antonio's access to the Edwards Aquifer is reduced by 44%. Water from the Vista Ridge project is a drought-proof supply that will be delivered even in the deepest drought.

SAWS set new benchmarks for transparency with a series of posted negotiation meetings that were open to the public and attended by the news media, elected officials, environmental groups and the general public. Contract terms have been a matter of public record since late July. SAWS provided public information on 188 different occasions, including community presentations, meetings and tours.

"SAWS is meeting its commitment to provide sustainable, affordable water services for San Antonio," said Robert R. Puente, SAWS president/CEO. "City Council has demonstrated its confidence in SAWS and this contract. We look forward to the promise of 2020 and the water that will arrive here."

Source: San Antonio Water System