What San Antonio Water System does

San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is a public utility owned by the City of San Antonio, providing integrated water, wastewater, and recycled water services to approximately 2 million people across Bexar County and parts of Medina and Atascosa counties. Created in May 1992 through the consolidation of the City Water Board, the City Wastewater Department, and the Alamo Water Conservation and Reuse District, SAWS serves 511,300+ water customers and 457,600+ wastewater customers through more than 13,000 miles of water and sewer mains. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees composed of the Mayor and six members appointed by City Council, and rates are set through a formal rate advisory process approved by both the Board and City Council.

SAWS operates one of the most diversified water portfolios in the United States, spanning Edwards Aquifer groundwater, Carrizo Aquifer supplies, the Vista Ridge pipeline, brackish groundwater desalination at the H2Oaks Center (producing 12 million gallons of drinking water per day via reverse osmosis), aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), and the nation's largest direct recycled water system. San Antonio is the only U.S. city that reuses all three wastewater byproducts—recycled water, organic biosolids compost, and biogas, the latter converted to energy through a partnership with Ameresco projected to generate over $500,000 in annual revenue. ConnectH2O, SAWS' $200 million advanced metering infrastructure, was completed citywide ahead of schedule in 2025 and provides hourly meter data over a wireless network for real-time billing, leak detection, and customer self-service, earning the IDC Smart Cities 2025 North America Award.

Revenue is generated predominantly through recurring monthly water and wastewater service charges across residential, commercial, industrial, and wholesale customer segments, supplemented by developer impact fees, recycled water sales (notably to data center operators), and special service fees. The utility is currently pursuing a $3.2 billion, four-year Water Forward infrastructure renewal plan approved by its Board in May 2026 and awaiting City Council action, alongside an EPA Consent Decree sewer program totaling approximately $1.2 billion (2013-2027). Affordability is supported through SAWS Uplift, a 14-initiative assistance program including Plumbers to People and Laterals to People repair partnerships launched in 2026.

Name

San Antonio Water System

Legal name

San Antonio Water System

Website

https://saws.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is a City of San Antonio-owned public utility providing integrated water, wastewater, and recycled water services to ~2 million people across Bexar, Medina, and Atascosa counties, serving 511,300+ water and 457,600+ wastewater customers via 13,000+ miles of mains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water and Wastewater Utility

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Utilities (22)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Drinking Water Distribution Network Operations (Mains, Valves, Hydrants, Service Lines) (EUANAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Utilities (Advanced Treatment & Blending) (EUANAGAC), Onsite/Decentralized Reuse Utilities (District/Building‑Scale Reuse as a Service) (EUANAGAH), Commercial & Customer-Side Loss Management (Service Lines, Premise Leaks, Customer Programs) (EUANAKAI), Monitoring & Control (Dosing Systems, Remote Monitoring, Sensors) (BPABAJAK), Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control & Compliance (Storage, Separation, Treatment) (EUANAEAG)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Wastewater treatment
• Recycled water systems
• Advanced water metering
• Water conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water Service Charges: SAWS generates primary revenue from monthly water service charges applied to residential, commercial, industrial, and wholesale customers. Rates are tiered based on volume (per 1,000 gallons) with conservation pricing where higher usage incurs higher rates. Rates are approved by the Board of Trustees and San Antonio City Council through a rate advisory process.
2. Wastewater/Sewer Service Charges: Revenue from wastewater collection and treatment services, billed based on water usage or flat-rate sewer programs for commercial customers. SAWS inspects, cleans and maintains 13,000 miles of water and sewer mains across its service territory.
3. Developer Impact Fees and Permits: Developers pay impact fees to finance off-site capital improvements necessitated by new development. These fees are recalculated every five years based on estimated average water demand by development type, authorized by San Antonio City Council. Also includes fire hydrant meters, flat-rate sewer programs, and contractor/developer permitting fees collected through the Business Center.
4. Recycled Water Service: SAWS provides recycled water service to commercial customers, including data centers. Recycled water usage among data centers has increased from 48% in 2023 to 75% in 2025, with new data centers planning to request 3,000 acre-feet of recycled water.
5. Special Service Fees: Fees for special services including non-compliance charges, Edwards Aquifer Authority permit fees passed through to customers, TCEQ pass-through fees, stormwater fees, and special service fees for new connections, deposits, and account services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

San Antonio Water System is a municipally owned public utility providing potable water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment services to more than 511,300 water customers and 457,600 wastewater customers across Bexar County and parts of Medina and Atascosa counties (approximately 2 million people). It operates a diversified water supply portfolio including the Edwards Aquifer, Carrizo Aquifer, Vista Ridge pipeline, brackish groundwater desalination, aquifer storage and recovery, and the nation's largest direct recycled water system. SAWS also runs affordability and conservation programs (Uplift, Plumbers to People, Laterals to People) and the ConnectH2O advanced metering program that delivers hourly meter reads and leak alerts.

Product overview

San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is a public utility providing integrated water, wastewater, and recycled water services to over 2 million people in the San Antonio region. The core offering consists of water distribution and wastewater collection infrastructure serving Bexar County and parts of Medina and Atascosa counties. SAWS operates multiple water supply sources including the Edwards Aquifer, Carrizo Aquifer, Vista Ridge pipeline, and desalination facilities. Key technology products include ConnectH2O electronic metering for customer usage monitoring, and the Water Forward $3.2 billion infrastructure modernization program. Affordability and conservation are supported through the Uplift Assistance Program (14 initiatives including Plumbers to People and Laterals to People), while environmental sustainability is achieved via the nation's largest direct recycled water system and biogas-to-energy partnership with Ameresco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ConnectH2O: Electronic water metering program that provides customers with hourly meter readings and secure wireless transmission of water use data to SAWS. Includes leak detection alerts and mobile-friendly customer access.
• Uplift
• Plumbers to People

Products and services

• Residential Water & Sewer Service
• Recycled Water Service
• Desalinated Water (H2Oaks Center)
• ConnectH2O Advanced Metering

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 trillion gallons of water saved through conservation programs to date
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• AmerescocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAWS partners with Ameresco for biogas-to-energy conversion, generating renewable energy from biogas produced during wastewater treatment processes. Projected revenues exceed $500,000 annually from this partnership, supporting SAWS' energy efficiency and climate action goals.
• Merced Housing TexassupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSAWS partners with Merced Housing Texas to deliver Plumbers to People and Laterals to People repair assistance under the expanded Uplift assistance program. Merced Housing Texas helps deliver repair assistance of up to $10,000 per home under a one-year pilot program targeting income-qualified residential customers.
• City of San Antonio - Neighborhood Housing Services DepartmentsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerThe City of San Antonio's Neighborhood Housing Services Department committed $250,000 for Plumbers to People and $500,000 for Laterals to People in the 2025-2026 budget, enabling SAWS to expand its equity-focused Uplift assistance programs for low-income residents.
• District 5 Councilmember Teri CastillominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDistrict 5 Councilmember Teri Castillo initiated the Council Consideration Request in 2024 that led to the expanded Water & Sewer Lateral Improvements Program combined with Plumbers to People, resulting in $750,000 in board-approved pilot program funding.
• Bexar CountysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBexar County has created a single application to qualify applicants for utility assistance under several federal programs. SAWS refers customers to Bexar County's County Utility Assistance program as part of its bill payment assistance offerings.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAWS operates under an EPA Consent Decree requiring an estimated $1.2 billion in capital funds for sewer system improvements from 2013 to 2027. U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin visited SAWS H2Oaks Center in April 2026 and praised San Antonio's water management approach as innovative and forward-thinking, a model for other communities.
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCEQ regulates SAWS operations, has rated San Antonio as having a superior water system since 1936, and requires public notice procedures under the Groundwater Rule when wells test positive for E. coli or fecal bacteria.
• Edwards Aquifer AuthoritycoreOthersSAWS holds permits from the Edwards Aquifer Authority for water withdrawals and passes through the associated permit fees to customers. The Edwards Aquifer remains a primary water source for San Antonio.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Denver Water: Denver Water is a municipal water utility serving the Denver metro with a diversified supply portfolio, recycled water programs, and tiered conservation rates. Comparable to SAWS on mountain/plains drought exposure, supply diversification, and conservation-driven demand management.
• Austin Water: Austin Water is a City of Austin-owned municipal water and wastewater utility serving a comparable Texas metropolitan area with tiered conservation pricing, AMI deployment, and reuse programs. It is one of the closest direct peers to SAWS in scale, governance structure, and drought-management challenges.
• El Paso Water Utilities: El Paso Water Utilities is a municipally owned water and wastewater utility serving a similarly arid, drought-stressed Texas border metro with a diversified portfolio including the world's largest inland desalination plant and direct potable reuse via the Advanced Water Purification Facility. Highly comparable to SAWS on drought exposure, supply diversification, and reuse strategy.
• Orange County Water District: Orange County Water District operates the Groundwater Replenishment System, the world's largest indirect potable reuse facility. It is a leader in direct potable reuse and recycled water and is comparable to SAWS in pioneering reuse as a drought-resilient supply.
• Houston Water (City of Houston Public Works): Houston Water is the City of Houston's municipal water and wastewater utility serving a large Texas metro with significant infrastructure and ongoing consent decree work. Comparable to SAWS in scale, governance, and large capital improvement programs.
• Dallas Water Utilities: Dallas Water Utilities is a City of Dallas-owned municipal water and wastewater utility serving a major Texas metro with tiered rates and conservation programs. Comparable to SAWS in scale, customer base, and Texas-specific regulatory regime.
• San Diego County Water Authority: San Diego County Water Authority is a regional wholesale water supplier serving San Diego County with imported, stored, and recycled water. Comparable to SAWS on drought resilience, recycled water investment (Pure Water San Diego), and large infrastructure programs.
• Las Vegas Valley Water District: Las Vegas Valley Water District serves one of the most water-stressed major U.S. metros, with deep investment in water reuse, conservation pricing, and AMI. Comparable to SAWS on climate-driven scarcity, recycled water leadership, and demand-management programs.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP): LADWP is the largest municipal water and power utility in the U.S., serving Los Angeles with similarly diversified supply (aqueducts, groundwater, recycled water) and large capital programs. It is a broader incumbent peer given its significantly larger scale and combined electric-water portfolio.
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection: NYC DEP operates the largest municipal water supply system in the U.S., serving 8+ million residents with reservoirs, aqueducts, and advanced wastewater treatment. Comparable to SAWS in operating massive infrastructure, regulatory complexity, and capital program scale, though at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MySAWS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/sawsorgsatx
• Facebookfacebook.com/MySAWS
• Instagraminstagram.com/mysaws

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Antonio Water System