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Water Reserve Levels Plunge in San Antonio

Aired May 5, 2000 - 6:16 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: In the United States, despite drenching rains in the state of Texas this week, the city of San Antonio is also seeing its underground water supply dry up.

CNN's Charles Zewe reports on the consequences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES ZEWE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Water, flowing cool and clear from springs fed by the giant underground reservoir known as the Edwards aquifer.

GREGORY ELLIS EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY: Those springs are absolutely necessary for the communities downstream from the springs. Without those springs flowing, those people don't have water.

ZEWE: But looks can be deceiving. Beneath the surface, a continuing drought across South Texas has plunged aquifer levels, triggering an emergency for the million-and-a-half residents of San Antonio. As part of an initial series of conservation measures, the city council restricted lawn watering to nighttime hours once a week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, WATER CONSERVATION AD)

ANNOUNCER: It's easy to save water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZEWE: The city's also running TV spots encouraging residents to cut back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, WATER CONSERVATION AD)

ANNOUNCER: Be a water saver.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR HOWARD PEAK, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: This is something that's not new to us. We go through it just about every single year. We reach a point when hot weather and low rain requires us to cut back a little bit more than usual.

ZEWE: Wildlife experts say, however, the measures don't go nearly far enough. WILLIAM SEAWELL, U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE: We ought to do a little bit more and a little bit sooner to protect spring flows in the way of putting these restrictions in place.

ZEWE: Officials estimate, in fact, twice as much water needs to be saved to keep alive the seven endangered species, including the blind salamander, living in the aquifer.

JOE FRIES, MARINE BIOLOGIST: Because there's so many unknowns, we don't know what we lose if we lose them. And once we lose them, they're gone forever.

ZEWE: The wildlife service says if water levels drop further, it may use its powers under the Endangered Species Act to order mandatory rationing. That could mean no lawn sprinklers or car washing. Officials say, in fact, they might even hire special police to go around town handing out expensive tickets to anyone who wastes water.

Charles Zewe, CNN, San Antonio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

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