Utility Service Providers

The utilities for Universal City residents and businesses are handled by various agencies.

Electricity

CPS Energy Customer Service (210) 353-2222;  www.cpsenergy.com

GVEC Customer Service (800) 223-4832; To report outages, text OUT to (800) 223-4832

Gas

CPS Energy (210) 353-2222;   www.cpsenergy.com; Sign-up for CPS alerts

Centerpoint Energy (800) 427-7142;  www.centerpointenergy.com

Water 

City of Universal City (210) 659-0333 option 2

Water is a metered service. Meters are read monthly as close to 30 days as possible. The previous read and present read appear on the bill. Your consumption is in thousands of gallons and is computed on a conservation rate schedule. All meters have a base charge which varies by meter size. The base charge is added to the computed usage to calculate your total monthly water charge.

Sewer 

City of Universal City (210) 659-0333 option 2

Sewer is a non-metered service. Residential sewer rates are based on water consumption December through March. Averages are calculated during this period when outside usage should be at a minimal. The average is multiplied by a sewer rate and the sewer base charge is added to compute your new total monthly sewer charge. Your new sewer charges will reflect each year on your April or May utility bill for the entire year. Commercial sewer is not averaged; it is computed monthly based on water usage.

Waste Services

Waste Management (210) 368-5000; www.wm.com

Garbage service is provided by Waste Management. Residential garbage services are billed monthly, plus sales tax, by the City of Universal City .

Commercial services are billed directly by Waste Management and include hand collection on Monday and Thursday. Designated dumpster sizes and pick up days are also available through Waste Management.

Storm Water

City of Universal City (210) 659-0333 option 2

The storm water fees are billed on your monthly utility bill based on your lot square footage. A storm water utility was created December 2004 to comply with the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 and its 1987 amendments requiring each state to implement a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program which regulates the pollutants being discharged into storm drain systems and eventually to the oceans, bays and rivers. In Texas, each City must have a Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) permit approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Edward Aquifer Authority (EAA) 

 www.edwardsaquifer.org

The City adopted a “pass-through” fee that will cover the EAA permit costs. The fee is a fixed monthly charge that is scaled by the customer’s water meter size. Some years ago, a lawsuit was filed under the federal Endangered Species Act that ultimately resulted in regulated pumping of the San Antonio portion of the Edwards Aquifer. To comply with federal and state law that allows continued, but regulated, use of this groundwater resource, the Edwards Aquifer Authority and other users are required to develop and obtain federal approval of a habitat conservation plan to help maintain spring flow at Comal and San Marcos springs during extreme dry conditions. The habitat conservation plan has been developed through the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Plan established by Senate Bill 3 of the 80th Texas Legislature. Besides protecting endangered species habitat present at the springs, this conservation plan will also provide a greater certainty of available Edwards’s water supply during extreme drought conditions.