When the San Antonio Water System pitched the Vista Ridge pipeline, the utility called it a “game-changing water project.” SAWS officials promoted the $2.8 billion project as a crucial step to diversify and expand San Antonio’s water supply, and they hail it as a success. The 142-mile pipeline, which runs from Burleson County, brings more than 16 billion gallons of water per year into the SAWS’ system.
But as SAWS imports that immense amount of water, the city-owned utility is losing even more — 21 billion gallons per year — by way of leaks, breaks and other issues.
A 2022 report from the Texas Living Waters Project and the National Wildlife Foundation found that across the state, water systems lose at least 572,000 acre-feet per year — enough to meet the total annual water needs of Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, Laredo and Lubbock combined. One acre-foot is enough water to cover 1 acre in 1 foot of water.
