SAWS water main break floods I-35 in San Antonio

San Antonio Water Systems crews are on site at a water main break on the Northeast Side after water began pouring out across I-35 near Eisenhauer Road. It didn’t take long for those online to start prodding the San Antonio water supplier over recent fee announcements for water wasters.

Drivers headed north on I-35 near Eisenhauer may want to either slow down or find an alternate route as water is still pouring out over the highway. SAWS officials confirmed with MySA this was a water main break. However, crews are already on site, working to identify the exact location of the break so they can isolate it and begin making repairs.

There’s no word yet on how long this process may take or if water will need to be shut off to any areas nearby as they work to repair the break. Commenters online were quick to judge the water supplier, questioning if they would be charged an additional fee for wasting water. SAWS officials just recently approved a new system for penalizing those who use excessive amounts of water – a fee structure that’ll tack on extra costs to water waters’ bills.

“I think the city should be charged for water main leaks just as we are at are homes. Maybe that would encourage them to fix leaks faster,” Patrick F. Johnson quipped online.

However, SAWS officials are moving quickly to resolve the issue. In fact, the agency just recently held an open house demonstrating how SAWS staffers are preparing for the heat, which marks water-break season.

“Carlos Mendoza, SAWS vice president of distribution and collection operations, was onsite to explain how his team is analyzing main breaks, adopting new technology to replace pipes, and using portable air conditioning units to improve working conditions for field employees,” a statement from SAWS reads.