This
weekend in San Antonio, a new park is opening in one of the poorer
neighbourhoods just south of downtown, at a spot where two spring-fed
rivers meet. The $13m, three-acre Confluence Park has huge concrete
flower petals that will gather rainwater for reuse, and will house
educational facilities about sustainable water consumption.
“This park is the place that you will want to visit when it rains,”
says Matthew Driffill, recreation superintendent for the San Antonio
River Authority.
Known as the “American Venice” for its River Walk urban canal system,
San Antonio is now perhaps more efficient and forward-thinking in its
water usage than any city in the US, possibly the world.
It wasn’t always this way. In 1982, San Antonio’s water use per
person per day was about 200 gallons – considerably more than the
national average of 122, and at the expense of its neighbouring cities.
San Marcos, New Braunfels and parts of Austin accused San Antonio of
over-tapping the 1,250 sq mi Edwards Aquifer they shared, leading to bad
blood, particularly during times of drought.
Fast-forward nearly 40 years and the city’s population has grown from
785,000 to 1.5 million, making it the seventh largest city in the US,
and the largest to draw its water exclusively from an underground
aquifer rather than a nearby lake. Yet over the same period, water use
per person has fallen to 140 gallons: a massive 38% drop.
.
Surce: Theguardian
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