Stage 4 water restrictions hit far north side community -- BexarMet to the Rescue??

Large signs reading “Stage 4 Water Restrictions In Effect” are posted all across Oaks North Estates.

“We’re not allowed to water at all, wash cars at all, not even like once a month,” explained homeowner Cindy Ellis. Ellis says the critical water use restrictions are causing everything to dry-up and turn to hay outside. She says indoors, the Stage 4 rules have her boiling mad. “Our water is clear, but they’re still telling us to boil our water. We’re not understanding why, and nobody can give us an answer.”

Ellis says the restrictions are unfair.“We found out that our neighbors are on Stage 2, and they’re still watering, and they don’t have to boil their water. Across the road in Bulverde, they’re still on Stage 1. So, it’s very frustrating.

News 4 WOAI made some calls. We found out neighbors in Oaks North Estates get their water from two small wells owned by SouthWest Water, Inc. A spokeswoman from the company says it issued Stage 4 restrictions in the area because the drought’s caused well water levels to significantly drop.

News 4 also discovered about a week ago SouthWest Water asked BexarMet to help them out. BexarMet’s spokesman, Mike Lopez, says the utility company attached some temporary lines to a well to help feed the water demands in Oaks North Estates.

With this new information, neighbors like Cindy Ellis say they hope these water problems don’t trickle into something even more serious.

“I just keep a lot of [bottled] water, since we never know when we’re not going to have any of it,” Ellis said.

SouthWest Water Inc. says once the well system recovers, it should be able to lift some of the water restrictions. Until then, it’s asking all users to conserve.