Drowning By Inefficiency: How SAWS Mismanagement Endangers Citizens

InfuseSA previously highlighted that sheer incompetence at the hands of City of San Antonio Animal Care Services Director Shannon Sims has resulted the deaths of two residents this year.  Since then, a couple of senior citizens have fallen prey to other unrestrained dogs, both sustaining horrific injuries: one is set to have a leg amputated, while the other could lose his arm below the elbow. 

Too many of the dogs involved have been previously reported to ACS. 

Now, as if to say “hold my beer,” San Antonio Water System showed their own incompetence by putting school children at risk of death when a school bus sank into a collapsed trench.  According to a KSAT report, concerned residents called SAWS repeatedly to report this leak.

Their calls went unanswered.

On the day the accident happened, August 21^st, SAWS listed the following water leak reports and water leak repairs:

• Reported Water Leaks Pending Investigations: 137

• Priority 1 Water Leak Repairs: 12

• Priority 2 Water Leak Repairs: 25

• Priority 3 Water Leak Repairs: 181

A random sample of SAWS delayed response times are captured above for Priority 1, 2, and 3 water leak repairs.

City Manager Erik Walsh and Mayor Ron Nirenberg have been at the helm long enough and should have demanded that SAWS address deficiencies – both for pathetic response time as well as providing proactive replacement of aging infrastructure.

Instead, according to the KSAT report, San Antonio Water System officials are blaming its customers for these massive water breaks.  Customers should never be blamed for the failures of city leadership.

Remember this City of San Antonio blame game next time you vote.