H-E-B, West Facet computer system engineering plant prime list of SAWS business drinking water buyers

SAN ANTONIO – H-E-B’s Rittiman Highway manufacturing sophisticated made use of virtually 266 million gallons of potable h2o from June 2021 to this June, data obtained by KSAT Investigates confirm.

The enormous North East aspect campus, which features eight manufacturing facilities, topped the record of industrial buyers of h2o all through the 12-thirty day period time period by a wide margin.

Tower Semiconductor, a laptop or computer know-how plant in the 9600 block of Westover Hills, was next on the checklist with potable h2o use all through that very same period of time of a lot more than 214 million gallons.

Top rated end users not drinking water wasters

“Big does not necessarily signify inefficient,” said Karen Guz, conservation director for the San Antonio Water Program.

She reported the utility has had “not infrequent” make contact with with commercial consumers in the prime 10 listing in previous yrs.

Potable drinking water is safe and sound to drink, prepare dinner with and for bathing.

Guz, who pointed out that SAWS operates with its buyers to realize about a billion gallons of cost savings each year, explained firms at the major of the record have looked for modern strategies to lower down on potable h2o use.

H-E-B officials, for instance, claimed when the company would make some solutions, water is applied to cleanse and process particular components. That h2o is reclaimed, filtered, cleaned and used again in the method.

A spokeswoman for the grocery big explained to KSAT Investigates in a written assertion:

“H-E-B is 1 of the most significant food companies in the region, creating meals for Texans throughout the point out. Quite a few of the solutions buyers see on our shelves are proudly built in this article in San Antonio. H-E-B operates 8 production services at our Rittiman Road campus, such as one of the largest dairy and meat plants in the southern U.S. Food stuff producing can use massive quantities of drinking water as an ingredient and to assist retain food protection, sanitization, and safe operations. Throughout our business, through the adoption of innovative systems and efficient processes, we get the job done hard to considerably lessen our water use, which lowers prices for our small business and our consumers. At H-E-B, we are deeply fully commited to conserving our natural means and guarding the land, h2o and air of Texas for generations to arrive.”

Media relations officers with Tower Semiconductor did not react to various e-mail searching for comment for this story.

Guz mentioned the plant should use “very pure water” in the creation of specific engineering factors but has taken ways to preserve when doable, having portion in various rebate projects with SAWS’ conservation division and making use of a reverse osmosis course of action.

Two San Antonio concept parks, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld San Antonio, ended up third and fourth on the listing of industrial use.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas

A Six Flags spokesman outlined the park’s perform to preserve h2o by means of electronic mail just after records disclosed it applied about 209 million gallons of potable drinking water from June 2021 to this June:

“The total of potable water we use consists of h2o for all fountain drinks, as nicely as h2o bottle refill fountains for all of our team customers and the 1000’s of company viewing on a day-to-day foundation. Moreover, all refreshment stands provide cups of complimentary ingesting drinking water to any guest on request. This amenity is even much more significant all through these periods of extraordinary heat when suitable hydration is so important as we working experience a report-location amount of 100 degree times.

“We are aware of the worth of h2o conservation, and with the constrained assets of our aquifer, we have constantly been and will go on to be pro-energetic in exploring further strategies to lower utilization.

• We have changed landscapes with far more indigenous and drought-tolerant crops.

• We recycle park runoff water into an irrigation lake and use it to water landscape beds.

• We have installed water-preserving plumbing fixtures (sinks/bogs).

• All of our attractive fountains, waterfalls and drinking water options make use of a shut re-circulation procedure and are primarily fed from rain runoff and captured air-conditioning condensation.

• The drinking water employed in our drinking water parks is filtered, handled and re-circulated.”

SeaWorld

SeaWorld, which applied almost 206 million gallons all through the very same time time period, has taken methods to reduce utilization as well.

In an e mail, a SeaWorld spokesman instructed KSAT Investigates:

“Potable h2o is vital in all regions necessitating human use, which include kitchen and dining regions, lavatory services, children’s h2o perform parts, and waterpark rides and slides. Water use is primarily based on aspects such as guest intake tendencies and performance and layout of an attraction. Triple-digit temperatures play a element in water use as perfectly, as attendees use more and there is increased evaporation. SeaWorld has prolonged been an organization that is dedicated to conservation. We make use of ways to reduce potable drinking water consumption that incorporate adhering to San Antonio H2o Techniques constraints, gathering and recycle condensate drinking water, turning off fountains, and making use of low move drinking water fixtures in guest and employee services.”

Methodist Health care

Methodist Health care rounded out the top five with extra than 192 million gallons applied from June 2021 to this June.

A Methodist spokeswoman explained to KSAT Investigates by using e mail:

“The use of drinking water in a well being treatment setting is crucial to the security and cleanliness of our patients. Drinking water plays an significant position, from washing surgical tools and products to use in everyday living-preserving devices like dialysis machines. In addition, drinking water is desired to run the cooling products for each individual of our amenities. Our eight hospitals also use drinking water for some of the very same reasons you would use it in your have property – to cook, launder, shower and flush the rest room. That necessitates a significant amount of drinking water taking into consideration Methodist Health care is the premier health care process in South Texas. About the summer season, we professional a spike in patient volume, which called for extra water usage. That use was vital to satisfy our patient’s demands in a placing whereby we are caring for them 24/7, each working day of the year.”

Bexar County, CarbonFree Chemicals, Metropolis of San Antonio, CPS and Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages took spots 6-10.

SAWS is no for a longer time required to launch residential h2o use documents following the Texas legislature last year passed a point out regulation earning selected utility customer data private.

Recycled drinking water in high desire

Lots of San Antonio firms have lowered their potable water usage by utilizing SAWS’ recycled water item, which expenditures considerably less than potable water and is made up of more nutrients.

“Our recycled water merchandise comes from our sewage cure plants, wherever we address all of the effluents, we connect with it, that will come from all of our prospects and handle it to a very substantial stage. It is not quite to ingesting criteria, but it is a quite superior item that’s despatched up by the purple pipe distributions system,” claimed Guz.

Topping the checklist of reuse water customers from June final yr to this June was Blue Wing Club Inc., which SAWS officials explained as a South Facet turf grower.

Blue Wing Club consumed a lot more than 274 million gallons of reuse water.

Toyota was 2nd on the list of reuse h2o at much more than 208 million gallons, documents demonstrate.

“Toyota’s a large operation and the place they can, they try to use the recycled drinking water product and then exactly where they can not, they use potable water,” explained Guz.