SAN MARCOS, Texas — Utility leaders in San Marcos say the city could face water shortages by 2047 if it doesn’t take action soon.
The main reason for the city’s water issues is its booming population. Population projections show the city will have around 303,000 residents by 2070. San Marcos planned for half that number.
During a meeting last week, the city’s director of utilities said that population growth means water usage will nearly double from 19 million gallons to more than 33 million gallons a day.
The city will have to find new water sources or focus more on water conservation. That includes possibly expanding its water rebate program as well as its recycled water programs, including the introduction of recycled potable water.
“What we try to focus on more than anything else is educating folks,” the city’s conservation coordinator, Jan De La Cruz, said in a presentation to city council. “We have a lot of people moving in from out of state and they’re not used to water issues. They don’t understand or know that there are restrictions.”
De La Cruz said the city’s education campaign has focused on showing residents they can save money by saving water.
“The more water people use, the higher their water bills are going to be. They go hand in hand,” she said.
There are three aquifers – the Trinity, the Edwards and the Carrizo-Wilcox – beneath cities in the Central Texas area. Most of the water for San Marcos comes from the Edwards Aquifer and Canyon Lake.
In May, San Marcos signed an agreement to sell extra water to the city of Kyle, which is facing similar issues with population growth. Years ago, Kyle and San Marcos purchased water permits from the Edwards Aquifer Authority, with San Marcos purchasing a much larger permit than Kyle, anticipating growth.
Kyle will start getting 1.7 million gallons of water a day starting next month.
San Marcos also recently made a deal with Kyle, Buda and the Canyon Regional Water Authority to connect to the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. A water treatment plant for the aquifer came online in December. Construction is underway on the pipelines to Hays County, which could be completed as early as this year.
In April, San Marcos updated its drought restriction policy as it diversified its water resources due to the population growth. The city is currently under Stage 3 restrictions and residents are asked to conserve and limit their outdoor watering.