In San Antonio, a confrontation over water services is brewing, driven by disconnection threats levied by the San Antonio Water System against local apartment complexes with outstanding bills. District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito and District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez are spearheading a movement, proposing changes purported to protect renters from bearing the brunt of their landlords' delinquencies. KSAT reports that the Councilmembers have filed a Council Consideration Request, which seeks to eliminate San Antonio Water System' ability to shut off water as a punitive measure.

This summer, paying tenants found themselves without water or under the threat of service disconnection, as San Antonio Water System targeted apartment complexes where landlords had failed to settle their debts. Some residents, already tightening their belts in the face of uphill economic strains, were compelled to grapple with additional hardships. San Antonio Water System has defended their practices, considering it a necessary step towards compelling overdue payments. However, council members argue that these efforts are leaving innocent tenants in desperate straits. "It's a real threat to the health and safety of our residents," Councilman McKee-Rodriguez told KENS 5, as they spoke of constituents reliant on medical equipment or burdened with the care of children, lamenting San Antonio Water System's strategy as overly harsh.

Councilwoman Gavito echoes the sentiment, reporting distressing calls from her constituents. In the statement obtained by KENS 5, she calls the current proceedings "a heartbreaking situation" and emphasizes the importance of correct tenant care. The proposed Council Consideration Request presents alternative solutions, including the public naming of landlords with delinquent accounts and imposing new sanctions, such as a $100 fine per unit for landlords who repeatedly pay late. These suggestions come as an effort to shift accountability toward property owners and away from their tenants.

The proposal, which awaits council discussion, is supported by other council members and promises to refine the city's current Proactive Apartment Inspections Program. Both the proposed sanctions and the transparency measures proposed are aimed at rooting out the issue without punishing the tenants. San Antonio Water System, despite labeling their shut-offs as "successful," is thrust into a dialogue on ethical enforcement and revenue recovery. While the proposals garner momentum, city staff is tasked with vetting each option's feasibility before any policy changes take hold. San Antonio Water System has yet to respond to the Council Consideration Request, leaving many to watch on as the unfolding dynamic between the city's lawmakers, its public utility provider, and the constituents they serve continues to evolve.