SATX-NSA: Impact 10/3/2025

On Oct. 1, the San Antonio City Council received a briefing on the San Antonio Water System's Water Stewardship Non-Revenue Water Program.

Created in 2024, the program seeks to reduce water loss and improve the water system’s efficiency. Using this program SAWS will build a comprehensive approach to addressing water loss challenges.

Latest update: Presented by Andrea Beymer, chief operating officer of SAWS, the discussion centered around reducing water loss from current levels, key strategies, and improving infrastructure and reliability.

Beymer said reduction strategies include adding production well meters, with a goal of 106 new flow meters by the end of 2026, implementing ConnectH20 program and replacing 605,000 mechanical meters with electronic meters and allocating $500 million over five years for water main replacement. Additionally, SAWS intends to increase its leak detection staff from six to 16.

Beymer also noted that SAWS will utilize artificial intelligence for failure prediction models, which will help identify vulnerable water mains.

On Sept. 23, the VIA Metropolitan Transit board of trustees voted to adopt a total consolidated budget of $574.3 million for fiscal year 2025-26.

Long story short: According to a news release, the budget includes a $339.1 million operating budget and a $235.2 million capital plan. VIA’s new budget is structured around its vision for improving organizational performance and transit service.

According to a news release, VIA’s spending plan prioritizes accelerating improvements, such as adding a new VIA Link Zone in November and improving more than 55 routes over the year. It also includes wage increases for all employees and growing VIA’s capital reserve to use for infrastructure projects.

What else? Additionally, VIA is working to speed up the completion of the Better Bus Plan, which is designed to offer more direct service through traditional bus routes.

Central Texas’s most popular 10-day celebration of German heritage and culture is right around the corner.

On Nov. 7-16, Wurstfest will attract 240,000 people from across the country and around the globe. The festival—founded in 1961—not only showcases the area's rich German history, but also focuses on charity and scholarship, Wurstfest President Keith Westerfer said.

Digging deeper: Wurstfest has about 20 to 24 nonprofit organizations attending the festival.

“It’s incredible, the amount of support they receive just within 10 days,” Wersterfer said.

What’s new: This year, the festival will feature a new pavilion for live German music and food—called the Wasserplatz—which will replace a tent that is normally situated in front of Bar 5, near Landa Park Drive.

“We want to improve the grounds as much as we can, but we also want to preserve its mystique,” he said.

• Wurstfest Grounds, 178 Landa Park Drive, New Braunfels

On Sept. 21, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, located at 810 Kitty Hawk Road in Universal City, celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Some details: According to a proclamation made by Universal City staff, the church held its first service in 1965 and broke ground at its current Kitty Hawk Road location in 1970.

The church provides food, rental and utility assistance in the area through the Randolph Area Church Assistance Program, and hosts various groups such as the Boy and Girl Scout Troops of America.

• 810 Kitty Hawk Road, Universal City