Every year, the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) publishes a Consumer Confidence Report detailing the quality of the city's water supply. In this article, we break down the key findings and explain what they mean for your home and family.
Where Does San Antonio's Water Come From?
San Antonio's primary water source is the Edwards Aquifer, a massive underground limestone formation that stretches across central Texas. The aquifer provides about 50% of the city's water supply. The remainder comes from other sources including the Trinity Aquifer, the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, Canyon Lake, and recycled water. The limestone geology of the Edwards Aquifer is directly responsible for San Antonio's notoriously hard water, as the water dissolves calcium and magnesium from the rock as it flows through.
Key Findings from the Water Quality Report
According to SAWS' most recent Consumer Confidence Report, San Antonio's water meets all federal and state drinking water standards. However, meeting standards does not mean the water is free of contaminants or minerals that can cause problems in your home.
- ●Hardness: 21 GPG (360 mg/L) — classified as 'very hard' by USGS standards
- ●Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): 300-400 mg/L — higher than many cities
- ●Chlorine/Chloramine: Used for disinfection, can cause taste and odor issues
- ●Fluoride: Added at 0.7 mg/L per state requirements
- ●Trace minerals: Small amounts of arsenic, barium, and other naturally occurring minerals
What the Report Does Not Tell You
While the annual water quality report is a useful snapshot, there are things it does not capture. Water quality can vary by neighborhood and season. Homes farther from the treatment plant may have higher chlorine levels due to re-chlorination stations. Older homes with galvanized pipes may have elevated lead or zinc levels. And homes on private wells are not covered by the report at all — their water quality can be dramatically different.
How to Protect Your Home
The best way to know exactly what is in your water is to have it tested at the point of use — your home. Hill Country Water Softeners offers free in-home water testing that measures hardness, TDS, chlorine, iron, and pH. Based on the results, we can recommend a customized treatment solution that may include a water softener, whole-house carbon filter, or reverse osmosis system.