I was so used to having limited access to water that I never questioned the reason behind it. It was just normal. But I learned early on that something as basic as water is not guaranteed. It\u2019s a privilege.<\/p>\n
When I moved to San Antonio at 17, I saw a completely different reality. Here, clean water is available at any time of the day. People leave the tap running while brushing their teeth, throw away half-empty bottles or take long showers without a second thought. When I arrived, I did, too. Like many people, I assumed water was limitless and forgot about my reality back home.<\/p>\n
As a student at Trinity University, I am currently taking former Mayor Ron Nirenberg\u2019s class, \u201cHow a Modern City Works,\u201d where we engage with organizations and leaders shaping San Antonio\u2019s development. Through this course, I recently visited the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) \u2014 visits that profoundly shifted my perspective. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SAWS.jpg\")
The final stop on \u201cHow a Modern City Works\u201d class tour at SAWS, where students learned about the full process water goes through \u2014 from the moment it is flushed, through treatment, to its reuse for non-drinkable purposes that benefit local industries and the broader community. Credit: Courtesy \/ Alynn Jimenez Miranda<\/p>\n
Seeing firsthand the immense effort required to ensure that such a vital resource is available to us every day made me reflect not only on the privilege of reliable access but also on its deeper significance in this region.<\/p>\n
Four hundred years ago, people settled in this region because of its proximity to fresh water provided by the San Antonio River (then named the Yanaguana River) and Edwards Aquifer \u2014 two important resources that continue to sustain our lives every day.<\/p>\n
But as San Antonio grows, so does its thirst. The city\u2019s population is projected to reach 2.1 million by 2075, and currently, each person uses approximately 117 gallons of water per day<\/a>. In response, SAWS has been investing in diversifying San Antonio\u2019s water sources<\/a> to reduce reliance on the Edwards Aquifer and in recycling non-drinkable water to support other services and industries that benefit residents.<\/p>\n Clean and accessible water is not guaranteed because it has diverse sources. It depends on the health of the natural systems that feed our rivers and aquifers \u2014 and we\u2019re fortunate to have organizations such as SARA working to maintain and restore these systems, protecting our water quality, filtering pollutants and supporting sustainable water supplies for the city.<\/p>\n Yet most of us often don\u2019t think about it. We assume that turning on the faucet will always produce clean water. But as Texas faces more frequent droughts and record-breaking heat<\/a>, that assumption is becoming risky.<\/p>\n Our habits, like leaving the water running for a couple of minutes before showering, flushing wipes or pouring grease down the drain, might seem harmless, but they have real consequences for the environment and the people who maintain these systems.<\/p>\n According to SAWS<\/a>, every time a wipe is flushed, a worker has to manually remove the buildup. Likewise, grease poured down the drain can solidify and mix with debris, creating blockages in the sewer and damaging equipment. These small actions slow down the system, cost money to repair, and make it harder to keep water flowing efficiently. At the end of the day, access to clean water doesn\u2019t depend solely on technology or infrastructure. It depends on the choices we make every day.<\/p>\n Even the most advanced water plants can\u2019t replace the need for personal responsibility. Water shouldn\u2019t be something we only think about in times of crisis. It should be a daily habit. Every extra minute in the shower, every leaky faucet and every item we throw in the toilet has an impact.<\/p>\n After my visit to SAWS and SARA, I encourage others to do the same \u2014 go see where your water comes from. Attend a community event<\/a>. Learn what it takes, and who it takes, to bring water to your tap. <\/p>\n You can engage directly by volunteering through the SARA River Warrior program<\/a> to help clean up the watershed and restore habitats, or by joining River Aid San Antonio volunteer cleanup events<\/a>. SAWS offers \u201cRain to Drain\u201d tours to see how water is treated and delivered, as well as the SAH\u2082O speaker series<\/a> to learn about conservation and water management. Behind every glass you drink is a network of passionate individuals working tirelessly to make sure you never have to think twice about it \u2014 but every time I visit Victoria, I\u2019m reminded that it\u2019s not the case for everyone.<\/p>\n I no longer have to wake up at 4 a.m. to fill buckets of water, but for many, that\u2019s not a choice. It\u2019s reality. Every drop is a privilege, and every privilege comes with responsibility. <\/p>\n Are you doing your part?<\/p>\n You\u2019ve read unlimited of unlimited articles this month. That\u2019s right \u2014 we\u2019re committed to providing free, fair journalism for all.<\/p>\n But without donor support, our nonprofit newsroom can\u2019t do its job to inform and empower your community.<\/p>\n Are you in? Your donation of any amount will help keep articles like this one accessible to all San Antonians.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"All year we have covered the stories that matter most to San Antonio, at no cost to you…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59491,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[31994,8084,4805,8774,82,84,83,15664,31995,3215,31996,31997,13003],"class_list":{"0":"post-59490","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-antonio","8":"tag-clean-water","9":"tag-edwards-aquifer","10":"tag-icymi","11":"tag-ron-nirenberg","12":"tag-san-antonio","13":"tag-san-antonio-headlines","14":"tag-san-antonio-news","15":"tag-san-antonio-river","16":"tag-sara","17":"tag-saws","18":"tag-trinity-univesity","19":"tag-water-infrastructure","20":"tag-water-quality"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59490\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}