When the water finally arrived, San Antonio’s leadership could relax. The roughly 150-mile long water pipeline to the northeast guaranteed the city’s economic future and freed residents from the stress of droughts.

“We have water security for decades to come,” said Robert Puente, president and CEO of the San Antonio Water System. Puente called the project, which came online in April 2020, the “biggest achievement in our lifetimes” to secure water for the city.

The pipeline helped conserve the sensitive Edwards Aquifer, upon which San Antonio has historically depended for water.