A water storage tank serving the Village of San Antonio was shot numerous times over the weekend, draining its entire 260,000-gallon supply and forcing residents into emergency conservation mode. Officials described the damage as an intentional act of vandalism, and investigators now believe somewhere between 14 and 15 rounds actually penetrated the tank's walls.
According to El Defensor Chieftain, authorities believe the damage occurred Sunday afternoon, though a separate account from Yahoo News places the shooting around October 19 and describes a 7.62x39 rifle causing more than $100,000 in damage. The tank is operated by the San Antonio Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association, and the entire contents were lost through multiple bullet holes, according to the Chieftain.
Sheriff's officials said spent shell casings were found at the scene. Barbara Atwood, the water association's office manager, described roughly 10 visible holes scattered across the structure, ranging from about 16 feet up to as high as 32 feet above the ground. Additional rounds struck the tank without fully puncturing it, the Chieftain reported. Yahoo's account adds that the tank also bore dents consistent with a .40 pistol, a detail not confirmed in the Chieftain's reporting.
Water Drained Slowly, No Flooding Reported
Water spilled around the well site and drained gradually, per the same account, and the leak did not create flooding in the area. The Socorro County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident, and sheriff's officials said the probe remains active, with no information released yet about a possible suspect.
In a press release, the water association said the vandalism severely limited the system's capacity and warned that conservation is now necessary to keep water available for drinking, sanitation and emergency services. The association also described the shooting as a serious crime that could carry state and federal penalties and urged anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
Emergency Conservation Rules Now In Effect
Following an emergency meeting, the water association issued an urgent conservation notice asking all customers to immediately reduce water use. Residents are directed to stop outdoor watering, lawn irrigation and vehicle washing, and to postpone filling swimming pools until further notice.
Indoors, the association is asking customers to run washing machines and dishwashers only with full loads and to minimize water consumption wherever possible. No repair timeline or replacement-water plan has been announced for the tank.
Other Western Water Tanks Hit By Vandals
San Antonio's loss echoes a string of water tank vandalism cases in California in recent years. In Blue Lake, vandalism of a city-owned tank in December 2021 cost an estimated 400,000 gallons total, including 200,000 gallons lost during repair work, according to KymKemp.com. That investigation drew in the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office and the FBI, though officials said residents weren't expected to feel direct impacts at the time. Blue Lake's city manager later told the Times-Standard that replacing the tank outright could have cost between $700,000 and $1 million.
A similar scare hit Novato, where officials planned to dump nearly 290,000 gallons after vandals breached a tank fence and contamination couldn't be ruled out, ABC7 News reported. That tank served roughly 1,000 customers and was taken offline, with a backup tank stepping in while the water district reevaluated its security measures. For now, San Antonio's roughly 260,000 gallons are simply gone, and the village is left waiting on investigators and rationing what water remains.
