Utility district approves plan to secure water resources From the cover
The overview
GVSUD coverage area
2 New Braunfels
The utility district serves water to approximately 110,000 customers.
The Green Valley Special Utility District, or GVSUD, seeks to modernize one of the area’s most precious resources—its water supply— through its first-ever strategic plan. On April 24, the GVSUD board of directors adopted the strategic plan, establishing goals and initiatives for the future of the area’s water infrastructure. GVSUD’s mission statement, according to the company website, is to provide “sustainable, reliable and efficient water solutions” by connecting customers to its water supply and improving local water infrastructure. General Manager Phil Gage said that the district serves water to more than 110,000 people as a political subdivision of the state. “Our number one mission in life is [to] deliver treated water to our customers the best that we can, as clean as we can, and also do the same thing with the environment when we’re treating [our] water,” Gage said. The highest percentage of GVSUD customers is in the city of Cibolo. In November, customers who receive their sewer bill from the city and their water bill from GVSUD will receive a single bill combining both entities.
35
281
1 Cibolo: 37%
Marion
Cibolo
5 7
3
9 1
Santa Clara
Schertz
Seguin
410
8
2 New Braunfels: 29%
10
New Berlin
6
4
3 Seguin: 11%
151
San Antonio
Saint Hedwig
6 San Antonio: 4% 5 Santa Clara: 5% 4 Saint Hedwig: 8%
90
37
35
1604
7 Marion: 3%
8 New Berlin: 2%
281
9 Schertz: 1%
181
N
SOURCE: GREEN VALLEY SPECIAL UTILITY DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Edwards Aquifer, which has received 3.13 fewer inches of rainfall than a typical year through October, according to the San Antonio Water System. The Edwards Aquifer is 3,600 square miles and is the primary water source for the area, according to the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
Utility districts are also responsible for managing water restrictions to combat drought conditions. Currently, customers are under Stage 2 restrictions, which means no watering with a sprinkler or irrigation system is allowed on weekends. GVSUD’s restrictions coincide with the level of the
Offering input
GVSUD by the numbers
The specifics
The key infrastructure upgrade for GVSUD is moving toward Automated Meter Infrastructure, or AMI. This gives the district the ability to read customer meters in real time, allowing for better data collection on water usage, loss and leaks. Currently, five out of 11 AMI antennas have been installed, with two more scheduled for fiscal year 2025-26. Once the transition to AMI is complete, the district will give customers access to a web- based program to track their own usage. Marisa Bruno, the water program manager for the Hill Country Alliance, said utility districts tend to struggle with enforcing water restrictions, a challenge where automated meters can help out. The alliance is an education and outreach group with a goal to preserve the environment of the Hill Country region. “[They] might say you can only water once a week or once every two weeks, but it can be dif- ficult to actually enforce that restriction, and so I do think a lot of the burden falls to residents to be following those drought restrictions,” Bruno said.
during strategic plan 11
AMI antennas to be installed
“It is crucial to have a strategic compass to guide the district for the foreseeable future.” JOHN FRIAS, GVSUD BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT
square miles of estimated
coverage area 230
estimated coverage
population 110,000
estimated average people per covered household 2.7
leaks 43
average monthly water
“[Increased usage] we’re seeing throughout the region as population booms is also going to make it harder for our aquifers to recover.” MARISA BRUNO, WATER PROGRAM MANAGER, HILL COUNTRY ALLIANCE
water loss 762,168
gallons of average monthly
gallons of current water
inventory 3.58B
current water connections 19,400
SOURCE: GREEN VALLEY SPECIAL UTILITY DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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