Page 12 - Builder Brief November 2024

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS COMING FROM THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEMS (SAWS) STARTING JANUARY 1, 2025
There are new irrigation system requirements coming to include filing for a permit and plans for future inspections being implemented by SAWS starting January 1, 2025. While the permit and inspections by SAWS will be new, there has always been a requirement for Builders to have an irrigation plan in place for new homes through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and these are enforced by state statute and irrigation plan submissions have been in place for decades. The change is that SAWS will now do a formal review of builder’s irrigation plans starting January 1, 2025.
Leaders from the Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) met with SAWS representatives several months ago to discuss these changes. We met with Karen Guz, Vice President, Conservation last year and at this meeting there was a discussion about irrigation plan review and eventually operational inspections. We agreed together to phase in the permitting with irrigation plan reviews starting in 2025 and operational inspections to begin in 2026.
The updated drought rules and requirements for irrigation plan review and eventually operational inspections were passed by the SAWS Board of Directors and the San Antonio City Council earlier this summer. The City of San Antonio does not do irrigation plan review for residential irrigation, nor do they do operational inspections on any irrigation systems. In addition, SAWS will not be requesting any fee for the work currently.
We have scheduled a face-to-face meeting with Karen Guz and Nathan Riggs, Manager of Program Planning, on Friday, November 15th at 9:00am in the GSABA Ballroom to further discuss these new requirements and their expectations. Light refreshments will be served.
The agenda will include two topics: pending irrigation plan reviews and current levels of violations going to builder-held water accounts. There have been 889 violations issued since July 6th when the updated rules went into effect. Of those 889 violations, 408 of them or 46% went to builders.
We want to work together to reduce these violations so please make plans to attend this one-hour meeting on November 15th. Karen and Nathan will share information about what the violations are and how they can be avoided and answer any questions you might have.
SAWS representatives will also share information on the current drought, which is the worst in our lifetimes. SAWS is trying hard to hold Stage Three and not have to go to Stage Four regulations should the drought continue.
KRISTI SUTTERFIELD
We hosted a great meeting with the leadership and staff from the City of San Antonio’s Development Services Department (DSD) on Tuesday, October 15th. The City of San Antonio has posted their Holiday Recordation Schedule: Thanksgiving the recordation date for the week of November 25th is changed to November 27th with a deadline at noon on November 26th.
Winter break schedule- the recordation date for the week of December 16th is not changed but the deadline is at noon on December 19th with a recordation date of December 20th. The last day for Plat recordation is December 20th.
The City of San Antonio offices will be closed starting on December 25th, but they will be open half of a day on December 27thfor plan review, permitting, certificate of occupancies and inspections. Builders, this is an important date if you have year-end closings!!
Please join us for next meeting with the DSD team from San Antonio on Tuesday, December 10th at 1:00 pm at GSABA and join us for our bi-monthly zoom call with Wayne Reed, the Cibolo City Manager on Wednesday, December 11th from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. If you would like to join this call and you don’t have the access number, please reach out to me.
Thanks for all you do for GSABA and our industry!
Warm Regards,
12 NOVEMBER 2024 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION