What to know about San Antonio drought after recent rains
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Despite recent heavy rainfall, San Antonio remains in its most intense drought in decades.
Why it matters: This drought is considered the city's second worst, but it could become what scientists call the drought of record.
How it works: A drought of record is defined as one with historically low water levels. Those conditions are then used to manage future droughts, Paul Bertetti, senior director for aquifer science at the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA), tells Axios.
- San Antonio's drought of record occurred in the 1950s. It holds that title in part because of how long it lasted, at about a decade, Bertetti says.
- The EAA uses the 1950s drought to determine stages that dictate how much water utilities, like the San Antonio Water System, can pump from the aquifer.
Context: Bertetti says our current drought started in March 2022. It includes consistently lower water levels than the 1950s event, even if it hasn't been as long-lasting — at least not yet.
State of play: We got nearly 6 inches of rain in May, and we've had more than 7 inches so far in June. Both are above normal.
Yes, but: San Antonio would need 15-20 inches of rain in one month, across the whole region, to end the current drought restrictions, Bertetti says.
- San Antonio Water System customers are currently under Stage 3 restrictions, meaning landscape watering with a sprinkler or irrigation system is only allowed once a week during certain hours on an assigned day.
What's next: He says it's likely we see more short-term droughts in the future as population growth increases demand on the aquifer.
The bottom line: "People should expect that we're in [drought] management much more often than we have been in the past," Bertetti says.
- "Demand is not ever going to go back down."