That was a legitimate concern once the state regulated use of the Edwards Aquifer, San Antonio’s only source of drinking water. To ensure the proverbial well didn’t run dry, we were tapped to help filter the controversy from the city’s most viable opportunity for an additional water supply.

To add a sustainable drinking water resource to support San Antonio’s booming population, Vista Ridge, a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership proposed developing a 142-mile long pipeline to transport water from Burleson County to San Antonio. It would be able to deliver 20 percent of the city’s water by 2020.

To help ensure the project’s success and secure San Antonio’s water future, our crack public affairs team created a research-driven messaging platform that answered the public’s questions, alleviated concerns, and weakened opponents’ arguments. We then worked with third-party champions like former elected officials and water experts to share these messages and help make the case for the pipeline.

With unanimous approvals from authorities and public support in hand, the Vista Ridge project is on schedule to deliver water to San Antonio and complement the city’s ongoing conservation and resource development efforts to accommodate the one million new residents expected by 2040.