Aquifer Levels Continue To Plummet; Watering Ban May Be Near

By Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The Edwards Aquifer water level plummeted to its lowest level since 1990, prompting more stringent water conservation measures and raising prospects of a watering ban.

The 1.7-foot drop in the level in San Antonio's index well brought the aquifer down to 639.7 feet above sea level, 26 feet below the historical May average and the lowest level since 1990, when it reached 622.7 ft.

The Friday drop was the greatest of the year so far and cut the city's allowable lawn-watering days by 25 percent, prompting water officials to warn that a ban could come next.

The measures allow landscape sprinkling only three times in two weeks, about once every five days. The Stage II measures in effect since April 19 had allowed sprinkling twice a week.

"People are going to have to continue to watch the amount of water they use, not only outdoors, but indoors," said Joe Aceves, president of the San Antonio Water System.

The city's average daily pumping goal drops from 214 million gallons a day under Stage II to 161 mgd under Stage III. The average for the first 16 days of May was 165.3 mgd, Aceves said.

The Stage III measure was aimed at reducing water consumption by 40 percent from normal levels, or 1.2 times the winter monthly average.

Most San Antonio-area cities and unincorporated Bexar County areas follow San Antonio's rules on outdoor watering.

The lowest level to which the aquifer level at San Antonio's well has ever dropped was 612.5 feet in August 1956. The record high occurred in June 1992, when it reached 703.3 feet.

Stuart Henry of Austin, attorney for the state chapter of the Sierra Club, criticized the San Antonio City Council for allowing sprinkling at all under Stage III. The council earlier this year had raised the Stage III trigger from 620 feet to 640 feet, but voted last week to allow limited sprinkling in Stage III instead of only watering by hand.

Five years ago, The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit that forced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to set minimum springflow levels that would protect five federally protected aquatic species that depend upon springflows from the aquifer.

The club has threatened to file lawsuits against major pumpers in an effort to force pumping cutbacks that would maintain those minimum springflows.

Record temperatures and parching winds have replaced the storms and showers that normally make May the year's wettest month.

The aquifer is refilled by rainfall, which has been far below normal for almost eight months. Since Sept. 22, only 4.07 inches of rain have fallen at San Antonio International Airport - 12 inches below normal. And daily record highs were set Thursday (96) and Friday (95), with forecasters predicting more records.

"Basically, we're in the pattern of high pressure over the area, and that means it's going to be hot and dry and windy," said Mark Miles with the National Weather Service. "Humidities are very low and are sucking out what little moisture we have in the ground. The next bet for rain is around Tuesday, and chances are very slim then."

Stage IV, the final step of the San Antonio drought plan, is triggered when officials believe aquifer water quality is at risk. Low water levels in the underground reservoir leads to reduced pressures that can allow salty water to intrude into and contaminate the freshwater portion of the aquifer.

The San Antonio City Council decides when to declare Stage IV and what water usage reduction measures should be implemented. Water system officials have indicated they will probably recommend Stage IV if the aquifer drops to 628 feet.

The only established additional measure for Stage IV is that no lawn grasses are to be planted.
"I expect that there will be consideration of no lawn watering in Stage IV," Aceves said.