SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Water System (SAWS) is moving forward on a multimillion-dollar plan to harden its systems against another winter freeze.
SAWS Board of Trustees earlier this week approved a $155 million contract with local installer Wampole-Miller Inc. to procure and install 15 natural gas generators across 15 water production sites.
The agreement also approved the purchase of generators and equipment from Enchanted Rock LLC for approximately $62 million.
The backup power will generate 35.6 megawatts of energy, enough to power approximately 30,000 homes. The generators will be operated and maintained by CPS Energy. In exchange, they’ve agreed to split the market proceeds with SAWS.
The generators will take approximately one-and-a-half years to install and are part of a $202 million plan to bring natural gas and diesel generators online at 36 water production sites within the next seven-and-a-half years.