The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is working to change how residents monitor their water usage. Nearly half of its customers are now connected to smart water meters as part of the "ConnectH2O" program, which allows for hourly tracking of water consumption. According to KENS 5, the SAWS board approved the initiative in December 2021, and installations began in 2022.
Representatives from SAWS maintain a cadence of bringing online about 5,000 meters each week. With more than half already in place, they have signaled an expedited completion with the aim of equipping over 610,000 meters by the end of 2025—a year ahead than was originally planned. This upgrade, Cecilia Velasquez, SAWS Vice-President of Customer Experience and Strategic Initiatives, said to KENS 5, is fueled by a desire to provide customers with a crystal-clear understanding of they're billed.
Utilizing these new meters, customers can scrutinize their water consumption patterns with fine granularity. Within just 48 hours following installation, it becomes possible to observe usage by hour, day, and month. Furthermore, part of the system serves a crucial role in leak detection, enabling residents to discern a leak early by actively monitoring their usage. "If you don't think you have a leak and you're able to turn off all your appliances, you should be able to see zero gallons as a rate on that meter," Velasquez explained in a statement obtained by KENS 5.
In addition to tracking personal water usage, the new systems have regulatory capabilities. Velasquez mentioned in a KSAT interview that SAWS can identify potential violations of drought restrictions. Currently, SAWS states that it does not use this data for punishment, but rather to encourage compliance; however, she conceded that "I think as the EAA (Edwards Aquifer Authority), if they ever again move to the next stage of drought and we then have to make some hard decisions, I think this would be one of those decisions that we would make." A spokesperson added that meter data alone would "never" trigger a citation—visual confirmation remains a necessity.
With the technological leap SAWS has made, assistance in usage data interpretation is not left to the digitally savvy alone. Customers without computer or app access can simply dial into SAWS and receive guided assistance through their hourly consumption details, affirming SAWS’s commitment to customer inclusivity.