♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ IT HAS DEVASTATED OUR CITY BUT
ALSO BROUGHT PROSPERITY.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S
WHY SAN ANTONIO EVEN EXISTS.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE SAN
ANTONIO RIVER DEFINES OUR
COMMUNITY, BUT THE SAME TIME
NOT ONE OF US WOULD WILLINGLY
JUMP INTO THE WATERWAY. WE ALL
VALUE SO MUCH.
>> THAT’S BECAUSE WE HAVE A
PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT’S IN
THERE.
>> AND IT’S NOT PRETTY.
>> FOR THIS KSAT EXPLAINS,
JUSTIN HORNE TAKES US INSIDE
A LAB TO EXPLORE JUST HOW
POLLUTED THE
RIVER IS AND ANSWERS THE
QUESTION. WILL WE EVER BE ABLE
TO SWIM IN THE SAN ANTONIO
RIVER?
WE HAVE A TRASH PROBLEM.
YOU MIGHT SAY THAT STEP ONE IS
ADMITTING YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
BUT WE’VE KNOWN ABOUT OUR TRASH
ISSUE FOR YEARS. CHANGE TAKES
TIME. THAT TRASH ISN’T BEING
DONE BY ME OR USE ALL OF US.
>> NO ONE EVER WANTS TO SAY I’M
PART OF THE PROBLEM, BUT WE
ALL ARE. THAT’S TRUE. BUT IT’S
NOT JUST TRASH. THAT MAKES THE
SAN ANTONIO RIVER A LESSON IN
BIOCHEMISTRY AND UNDERSTAND IT
BETTER. LET’S PUT OUR WAY BACK
TO THE BEGINNING. THIS
>> IS THE HISTORIC SOURCE OF
THE WATER THAT FEEDS TO THE
RIVER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF INCARNATE WORD.
THE BLUE HOLE STANDS AS AN ICON
OF SAN ANTONIO HISTORY.
>> AFTER ALL, THIS IS LIKELY
WHERE CIVILIZATION BEGAN IN
THE AREA. IT WAS A PROLIFIC
SPRING. YOU’LL ACTUALLY GET
THIS BLUE.
>> YOU’RE DESTINED KIND OF
WATER FLOWING OUT HERE. IT’S
REALLY MAGICAL. MAGICAL.
YES, BUT ONLY ON RARE OCCASIONS
THESE DAYS, IT’S MOSTLY DRIED
UP. YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE AN AQUA
FOR LEVEL OF 672 FEET OR MORE
FOR THIS STUFF. LOS, THEN THE
QUESTION BECOMES, WHERE DOES
THE WATER AND THE SAN ANTONIO
RIVER THAT WAS HERE ON THE
RIVER WALK? WHERE DOES IT COME
FROM FOR MANY YEARS? OKAY.
PRETTY WELL. BUT THEN WE
REALIZE THE APPLE FOR NEEDED
PROTECTING. SO FOR THE LAST
20 YEARS, THE PRIMARY SOURCE
OF THE RIVERWALK WATER.
>> AND THE WATER GOING DOWN
STREAM HAS BEEN RECLAIMED
WATER. NOW THAT CAN ALL CHANGE
WHEN IT RAINS. WE GET A LOT OF
RAIN, WATER AND THE SPRINGS
DUFLO EVERY COUPLE YEARS AS
WELL. BUT IT IS PREDOMINANTLY
WHEN YOU’RE ON THE RIVERWALK
HAVING A MARGARITA THAT’S
RECLAIM WATER FOR THE MOST PART
AND THE ZOO. WELL, MAKING UP
MOST OF THE FLOW OF FOOD WATER
AS IT’S CALLED, CAN MAKE UP AS
MUCH AS 90% OF THE WATER IN
THE RIVER. IT WELL, IT COMES
FROM THINGS LIKE SEWER PLANTS
THAT HAPPENS TO BE VERY CLEAN.
♪
>> WHEN WE PLACE IT UNDER UV
LAMP TO FIT FOR DRESSES WRITER
THAN THAT.
>> AND IT WILL BE POSITIVE FOR
E-COLI. SO THEN WHY WOULD
TESTED IN THE SAN ANTONIO
RIVER? AUTHORITY LAB IS THE
WATER FROM THE RIVER FLOWING?
>> NO, IT’S NOT RADIOACTIVE,
BUT TESTS WHICH ARE DONE HERE.
ROBIN GLOW WHEN E-COLI IS
PRESENT, YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD
OF THIS RATHER UNFRIENDLY
BACTERIA, WHICH CAN HAVE BAD
RESULTS FOR YOU. AND I IF
INGESTED AND THAT ECO LIKE IT’S
IN OUR RIVERFRONT. WELL, YOU
PROBABLY GUESSED BY NOW THE
POINT IS EXTREME. AND IF YOU’RE
NOT PICKING UP AFTER YOUR PET.
>> THEN THAT THE EXTRA MINUTES
ARE BEING.
FLUSHED INTO THE RIVER. AND
THAT’S THE SOURCE OF THE
COLDER. IT’S NOT JUST FINALS
BALL, THOUGH.
>> ANIMALS OF ALL TIME
CONTRIBUTE, INCLUDING FERAL
HOGS. HE USED THE RIVER IS
THEIR PERSONAL RESTAURANT.
>> IN DUCKS APP. THAT’S WHY
THEY TELL YOU NOT TO BE THE
DOTS. AND HOW DO WE KNOW THAT
THIS MACHINE IN THE RIVER
AUTHORITY LEFT TO BREAK DOWN?
WHO’S GOT THAT? HE’D PULL I
CAME FROM. SO CERTAINLY BACK TO
THE WHOLE SWIMMING THING.
THE REASON WHY THERE’S MORE ON
THE CONCERN AS FAR AS
POLLUTANTS GO IS BECAUSE THERE
ELEVATED LEVELS OF BACTERIA,
MOSTLY
E-COLI, BACTERIA IN LARGELY
IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO.
AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT.
BUT YOU CAN’T SWIM IN THE RIVER
IN SAN ANTONIO. THAT’S NOT
NECESSARILY THE CASE. FURTHER
DOWNSTREAM, THE WATER QUALITY
DOES GET BETTER AS YOU GO
DOWNSTREAM AS YOU GET AWAY FROM
URBAN CITY CENTERS. ONE OF THE
BIGGEST REASONS THIS IS STORM
WATER RUNOFF. YOU HAVE THE
ACCUMULATION ON STREETS AND
SIDEWALKS ON PARKS. YES, WELL,
RAINFALL IS A GOOD THING.
IN THOSE CASES. IT’S NOT GOOD.
HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO
WATER, QUALITY, IT HELPS TO
WATCH ALL OF SAN ANTONIO’S
NASTINESS INTO THE RIVER.
WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE PRETTY
GOOD WATER QUALITY IN THESE
LONG DROUGHT PERIODS. BUT THE
MINUTE IT RAINS.
>> WATER QUALITY GOES HORRIBLE.
NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT’S IN IT,
WHAT HAPPENS? AND WE’VE ALL
THOUGHT ABOUT IT. IF YOU’RE
WALKING ALONG THE RIVERWALK,
YOU TRIP AND FALL IN.
>> WE SHOULD STAND UP PRETTY
SHALLOW RIGHT?
>> BUT ARE WE GOING TO GET
SICK? YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET
YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUMP IN THE
RIVER AND YOU TAKE A FEW GULPS
OF WATER, WE MIGHT NOT BE AS
GOOD, BUT YOU’RE NOT GOING TO
GET SICK JUST FROM FALLING IN
THE RIVER WALK. AND WHAT ABOUT
THE SPECIES THAT CALL THE RIVER
HOME? YOU’VE LIKELY SEEN.
SO WHEN THEY SING IN THE RIVER
WHERE THE BIS SAFE TO EAT, IT’S
COMPLETELY SAFE TO FISH IN OUR
SYSTEM. THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS
THERE’S A ABOUT A 15 TO 20 MILE
STRETCH OF LEON CREEK. THAT
DOES HAVE AN IMPAIRMENT FOR
EDIBLE FISH TISSUE. SO MEANING
YOU SHOULD NOT EAT FISH OUT OF
THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE LEON
CREEK. BUT EVERY OTHER WATER
BODIES ARE BASES IS CONSIDERED
SAFE FOR CONSUMING THESE WATER.
QUALITY ISSUES, BY THE WAY, ARE
NOT JUST THE SAN ANTONIO
PROBLEM. WE’RE CERTAINLY NOT
ALONE. AND THE URBAN URBAN
WATER QUALITY ISSUES. THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT EVERY SINGLE
MAJOR CITY IN THE COUNTRY DEALS
WITH IN THE GOOD NEWS, SAN
ANTONIO IS HEADED IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION. YOU TALK TO SOME
PEOPLE WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, POOR
STORIES FROM 30, 40, 50 YEARS
AGO ABOUT WHAT THE RIVER WAS
AND WHERE WE ARE NOW IS IS IS
LIGHT YEARS BEYOND WHAT WHAT IT
WAS IN MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
WASN’T THAT THANKS TO MOVES
TAKEN BY THE COMMUNITY IN THE
SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY,
INCLUDING INSIDE THEIR LAB HERE
WHERE WATER TESTING OCCURS
DAILY, THE FUNCTIONS OF THE LAB
OR ARE CRITICAL BECAUSE THEY
REALLY TELL YOU.
>> ARE ALL THE OTHER ACTIONS
AND DECISIONS YOU’RE MAKING AND
ACTIONS WE’RE TAKING. ARE THEY
IMPACTING THE RIVER IN A
MEANINGFUL WAY? ACTIONS LIKE
THE HABITAT RESTORATION ON THE
MISSION, REACH THE RIVER.
AUTHORITIES, NEW CAMPAIGN.
>> DON’T LET LITTER TRASH OR
RIVER. A RECENT REPORT CARD
FROM THE RIVER AUTHORITY OVER
ALL GAVE THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER
A P.
>> BUT IT DID RECEIVE AN F FOR
FLOOD INSURANCE COVERAGE.
IMPALA TRACH AWARENESS LEADS
TO ACTION. ACTION NEEDS TO ADD
TO HIS SEAT.
>> WHERE SOME DAY.
NONE OF US WOULD EVER EVER
THINK TO THROW SOMETHING ON THE
STREET BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT
STREET WILL GO TO A CURVED AND
LET THAT CURVE AND WENT TO
HEIGHT. THAT TRASH WILL MAKE
ITS WAY EVENTUALLY TO SOME
CREEK. WE’RE TRIBUTARY THAT
THOSE THE SAME TIME.
>> MEETING SUNDAY, JUST MAYBE
MORE OF THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER
WILL BE SWIMMABLE. I’M AN
OPTIMIST. YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT
THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE NEAR
FUTURE.
>> WE OFTEN ARE AT RECREATION
ABSOLUTELY WOULD ALLOW YOU TO
THE NEW IN KAYAKING WHAT WE
CALL SECONDARY RECREATION WITH
THE PRIMARY WITH THE SWIM AT
YOUR HEAD UNDER WATER. WE’RE
NOT THERE YET.
WE DO HAVE A DREAM THAT SORT
OF OUR BIG DREAMS WHERE AND HOW
CAN WE MAKE THE RIVER MORE
SWIMMABLE?
♪
SWIMMABLE? ♪ >> LOTS OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OUR
RIVER RIGHT THERE FOR MORE
EPISODES LIKE THIS ONE. SCAN
THE QR CODE ON YOUR SCREEN.
YOU SEE IT RIGHT NOW. IT WILL