Bexar County Commissioners this week topped off funding for a new $5 million dollar water well that will supply animals at the zoo with fresh water.
County officials said there is some fear the existing decades old well at the zoo could fail, so the county, city, San Antonio River Authority, and zoo have taken steps to see it replaced. The county approved one-million dollars this week, the last of the funding needed.
The well is considered part of the cooperative agreement between the county, city, and river authority to complete the Creeks and Trails Capital Improvements program.
The zoo animals must drink fresh, untreated ground water and not treated water from SAWS.
Tony Canez of county facilities management says it's important the new well is completed while the old well still functions so water flow to the animals is not interrupted.
The new well will come with a new pump and the aging pump in the existing well will be considered for repairs.
"Once all the new well has been installed and is commissioned, we'll be able to take a closer inspection of the existing water well to figure out how rehabilitation of that equipment can be performed so that we have a redundant system," Canez said.
He said work would start immediately and should be completed during the fourth quarter of the year.
San Antonio Zoo President and CEO Tim Morrow expressed thanks to commissioners for their funding for the well.
"Many species and habitats at San Antonio Zoo depend on the well pump water, including endangered species. This includes our aquarium building, Africa Live!, which houses the hippos, the entire river system within the zoo, and even at our Center for Conservation & Research, where we work with Edward’s Aquifer Species."
The century-plus old zoo covers 50 acres and is home to 750 species, according to its website. The zoo attracts on average more than one-million visitors a year.
The City of San Antonio owns the zoo property, but it's managed by the non-profit San Antonio Zoological Society.
Water from the well also flows into the San Antonio River to help boost its flow.
