NEWHOMEOWNERS’ GUIDE

Getting Started 2How do I set up service? 2How do I read my bill? 3How do I pay my bill? 5How do I set up automatic payments? 6

Next Steps 7How do I identify a leak? 7How do I winterize my pipes? 9How do I clean my gutters? 9What water restrictions do I need to know? 9

Saving Money 12How much water do home appliances/features use? 12How do I save money on my bill? 12How can I save money on landscaping? 13

Common water use myths 14Should I hand water or use my sprinklers? 14When is the best time of day to water my lawn? 14Where does San Antonio get its drinking water? 14

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How do I set up service?

To start service, call 210-704-7297 (SAWS) or visit a customer center. In order to establish new service, the

following will be required:

● Thepropertyaddress

● Ifrenting,bringacopyofyourlease

● Purchaseagreementfornewhome

● Avaliddriver’slicenseorTexasID(Residential)orTaxID(Commercial)

● Contactphonenumber

●Mailingaddress

●Dateofbirth(Residential)

Adepositisrequiredfornewresidentialservice.Depositsforcommercialaccountsvary.

To transfer service to a new address, visit the MyAccountpageandchoose“ScheduleaMove.”

GETTING STARTED

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How do I read my bill?

1. CurrentBillSummary:Providesasnapshotofyourbill.ThesummaryincludesyourSAWSaccountnumber

and service address, followed by itemized charges, total amount due, and the payment due date.

2. EdwardsWaterAquiferLevel:ProvidesthecurrentleveloftheEdwardsAquiferincomparisontorecord

high and low levels, as well as water restriction stages.

3. Your Water Use in Gallons: Graphic display of your water consumption for the past year, your

neighborhoodaverageconsumption,SAWSsystem-wideaverageconsumption,andyournext

scheduled meter reading date.

4. PersonalizedMessage:Informationcustomizedforeachcustomerbasedonwateruse.

5. PaymentStub:Portionofthebilltobereturnedwithpayment.

6. CurrentBillCalculation:Detailed,itemizedbreakdownofchargesandcalculationsusedtocompute

your bill total.

7. HowtoReadYourMeter:Instructionsonhowtocomputeyourwaterusesinceyourmeterwaslast

read.Thenumberusedintheexampleisyouractualmeterreadingforthisbillingcycle.

8. SpecialMessages:DisplaysimportantinformationregardingcurrentSAWSprogramsandpromotions.

9. CustomerServiceLocations:ListofstreetaddressesandofficehoursofSAWSCustomer

ServiceCenters.

See diagram on page 4.

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How do I pay my bill?

There are several convenient ways to pay your SAWS bill.

Pay Online CreateyouronlineaccountbyvisitingSAWS.organdchoosing“MyAccount.”Youwillneedtheaccountnumberfoundonyourfirstpaperbill.Onceyou’resetup,youcanpayonlineusingadebit/creditcardwiththethird-partyprocessorKUBRA.KUBRAacceptsVisa,MasterCard,Discover,andAmericanExpress.Aconvenience fee applies. Note: You can also set up automatic payments via your My Account page. See page 6 for more information.

Pay in PersonPayinpersonatanyofthethreeSAWSCustomerServiceCenterlocations.Paymentmaybeintheformof:cash,personalcheck,traveler’scheck,moneyorder,ordebit/creditcard.Also,paymentisacceptedinperson through partnering pay agencies.

Pay by PhoneCall210-704-7297(SAWS)topaybyphoneusingacheckordebit/creditcardwithourthird-partyprocessorKUBRA.KUBRAacceptsVisa,MasterCard,Discover,andAmericanExpress.Aconveniencefee applies.

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Pay by MailPaymentscanbemadeusingthereturnenvelopeincludedwithyourpaperbill.SAWSacceptspersonalchecks,traveler’schecks,andmoneyorderbymail.Cashisnotaccepted.

San Antonio Water SystemP.O.Box2990

San Antonio, TX 78299-2990

How do I set up automatic payments?

Settingupautomaticdirectdepositisconvenientandabsolutelyfree.LogintoyourMyAccountpage,choose“PayMyBill,”thenchoosetheoptionto“PayyourBillAutomatically.”

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Learn more atsaws.org/waterful

When you invest time and effort into building a strong foundation, great things happen. Just like strong roots will help a sapling grow into a great tree, SAWS maintains resilient infrastructure underground that ensures safe and sustainable water today and for generations to come.

UNDERGROUND FOUNDATIONSFOR THE FUTURE

How do I identify a leak?

Often,thefirstsignofaleakisanabnormallyhighwaterbill.Othertimes,youmayactuallynoticethesoundofrunningwateralthoughnooneisusingany,strangewaterspotsinsideyourhome,orpatchesofextragreengrass outside. To identify if you have a leak:

1. Turnoffallflowingwaterinyourhome,includingdishwasher,showers,andirrigationsystems.Locateyour water meter (most are located in the front of the home).

NEXT STEPS

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Learn more atsaws.org/waterful

When you invest time and effort into building a strong foundation, great things happen. Just like strong roots will help a sapling grow into a great tree, SAWS maintains resilient infrastructure underground that ensures safe and sustainable water today and for generations to come.

UNDERGROUND FOUNDATIONSFOR THE FUTURE

2. Removethecoverandlookforthesmalltriangleorstarordiamondshapeonthewatermeter.Ifit’sspinning,shaking,or“jumping”thatmeanswaterisstillrunninginyourhomeandyouhavealeak.

3. Ifthetriangle/diamondisnotspinning,thenyou’llhavetodosomedetectiveworkonallthepossibilities, including toilets, water softeners, and swimming pools. Shake down the usual water-wasting suspects with this guide.

4. Ifyoustillcan’tidentifytheculprit,giveusacallat210-704-SAVE(7283).

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How do I winterize my pipes?

Duringthewinterwhenthetemperatureisexpectedtodropbelowfreezing,yourpipesareatriskoffracturing

orworse.Thiscancauseinconvenientandexpensivedamagetoyourpipesandaffectyourwatersupply.The

following precautions will help protect your pipes.

●Don’tletyourhousegocolderthan50degrees,evenifyouaren’tthere.Setthermostatwhenyouleave

(don’tturnitoff).

● Disconnectgardenhoses.

● Ifyourhomehasaseparateshut-offforexternalfaucets,turnitoff,butbesuretodrainthewater.

● Turnoffsprinklersystems.

● Sealopeningswherecoldaircanreachunprotectedwaterpipes,likeoutsidefaucets.Coldwindscan

speed up the freezing process.

●Coverexposedpipeswithfoamorfiberglassinsulationsleeves,thethickerthebetter.

● Incaseswhenthere’snointernalheat,orifthereareextendedfreezingtemperatures,leavecabinetdoors

open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer room air to circulate around pipes.

How do I clean my gutters?

Whenleavesanddebrisbuildupinyourgutters,itcancausewaterdamagetoyourhome.Preventthisfrom

happening by cleaning your gutters twice a year. There are many tools you can purchase to make this task easier,

suchasaladder,atrowelorscoop,orapressurewasherwithaspecialnozzlemeantforgutters.Removethe

leavesanddisposeofthem.ConsideraddingtheleavestoyourgreenorganicsbinfromtheCityofSanAntonio.

What water restrictions do I need to know?

WhentheCityofSanAntonioisNOTunderanyspecificdroughtrestrictions,year-roundwateringrulesarein

effect.Undertheyear-round,non-droughtwateringconditions:

● Landscapewateringwithanirrigationsystemorsprinklerispermittedanydayoftheweekbefore11a.m.

or after 7 p.m.

●Handwateringwithahand-heldhose,dripirrigation,soakerhoseorbucketispermittedanytimeofday.

open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer room air to circulate around pipes.

Whenthecityisexperiencingdrought,waterrestrictionsvaryontheseverityofthedrought.Youcanseewhat

stageweareinbylookingatthe“EdwardsAquiferWaterLevel”sectionofyourwaterbill,ontheSAWS.org

webpage, or by watching the local news.

Stage 1:

●Wateringwithanirrigationsystem,sprinklerorsoakerhoseisallowedonlyonceaweekbefore11a.m.or

after 7 p.m. on your designated watering day (see chart below).

●Handwateringwithahand-heldhose,dripirrigation,soakerhoseorbucketispermittedanytimeofday.

Stage 2:

● Landscapewateringwithanirrigationsystem,sprinklerorsoakerhoseisallowedonlyonceaweekfrom

7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. on your designated watering day (see chart below).

●Wateringwithdripirrigationor5-gallonbucketispermittedanyday,butonlybetween7-11a.m.and7-11p.m.

● Wateringwithahand-heldhoseisallowedanytimeonanyday.

Stage 3:

● Landscapewateringallowedonlyeveryotherweekwithanirrigationsystem,sprinklerorsoakerhose

from 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. on your designated watering day (see chart below). Weeks when no

watering is allowed will be announced via local media and online.

●WateringwithdripirrigationisallowedeveryMonday,Wednesday,andFriday,butonlyfrom7-11a.m.

and 7-11 p.m.

●Wateringwithahand-heldhoseisallowedanytimeonanyday.

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Wateringschedulewhendroughtrestrictionsareineffect:

Last digit of address Watering day

0 or 1 Monday

2 or 3 Tuesday

4 or 5 Wednesday

6 or 7 Thursday

8 or 9 Friday

Nowateringonweekends.Areas without a street address, such as medians and neighborhood

entryways, water on Wednesday.

Stage 4:

● Stage4restrictionsmaybedeclaredifthetotalsupplyofwaterfromtheEdwards Aquifer and other

sourcesisinsufficienttomeetcustomerdemand,evenwhilecomplyingwithlesserrestrictionstages.

TheserestrictionsmaybedeclaredatthediscretionoftheCityManageruponcompletionofa30-day

monitoring period following Stage 3 declaration.

How much water do home appliances/features use?

● A20-minuteshoweruses40gallons.Andthat’sjustthenewer,moreefficientshowers.Older

showerscanuseupto5gallonsperminute—that’s100gallonsfora20-minuteshower!

●Onaverage,irrigationsystemsuse3,000gallonsofwatereverytimetheyrun.Handwateringis

muchmoreefficientandwillkeepyourwaterbilllower.

● Aleakytoiletisasneakyoffenderwhenitcomestowastingwater,andyoumaynotevenknowit’s

happening. All toilets need maintenance. Knowing when yours is in need of some upkeep helps

save water and money.

How do I save money on my bill?

Anything you can do to save water will help lower your water bill, while also saving water for the entire city.

Here are some tips for lowering your water consumption:

●Reducewateringduring the winter while your plants/grass are dormant.

●Don’tover-wateryouryard.Asageneralrule,youonlyneedthree-fourthsofaninchofwater

per week.

● Takeshortershowers

●Optforcoldwaterwheneverpossible,suchaswhenwashingclothes.

● Installalow-flowshowerheadthatlimitstheflowfromtheshowertolessthanthreegallons

per minute.

● Scrapefoodintothetrashbeforerinsing.

●Waituntilthedishwasherorclotheswasherarefullbeforerunning.

●Choosehigh-efficiencyapplianceswheneverpossible.

SAVING MONEY

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How can I save money on landscaping?

TheSAWSWaterSaverprogramsrewardcustomersthatoptforwater-wiselandscapedecisions.Clickthelinks

to learn more about each opportunity to save money on your landscaping.

●WaterSaverRewards

●WaterSaverPatioscapeCoupon

●WaterSaverLandscapeCoupon

●WaterSaverIrrigationConsultation

●ResidentialIrrigationDesignRebate

●RainsaverCisternRebate

●SwimmingPoolFilterRebate

●WaterFlowSensorRebate

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Should I hand water or use my sprinklers?

When done responsibly, hand watering uses far less water than sprinklers do. Even during drought restrictions,

hand watering is allowed any day and any time.

When is the best time of day to water my lawn?

Whenthesunisatitshottest,muchofthewateryou’reusingjustevaporatesanddoesn’tactuallynourishthegrass.It’sactuallyagainstthelaw!Wateringbefore11AMandafter7PMismuchmoreefficient.

Where does San Antonio get its drinking water?

While Edwards Aquifer is where we get the majority of our water, there are several other sources we use to diversify our water supply. SAWS also pulls from several other aquifers and lakes; recycles wastewater to be usedbygolfcourses,parks,andtheRiverWalk;andfiltersbrackish(slightlysalty)wateratadesalinationplantthat produces 12 million gallons per day of drinking water.

COMMON WATER USE MYTHS

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