San Antonio Water System

SAWS Code of Ethical Standards

All SAWS employees are stewards of the public trust. SAWS employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner to maintain public trust and confidence. Using resources wisely and centering decisions on the best interests of the community without personal conflicts of interest promotes the public’s confidence in SAWS’ mission.

These ethical standards are intended to identify and prohibit conduct that is incompatible with the best interests of SAWS. These standards provide guidance and direction for situations that public servants commonly face.

SAWS Code of Ethical Standards Revised Dec. 2018 – Adobe PDF – 241 KB

SAWS Policy Regarding Gifts

As part of SAWS Code of Ethics, SAWS employees are prohibited from accepting or giving gifts that could compromise objective decisions in SAWS best interests.

Here are the details:

Gifts or Benefits that Create the Appearance of Impropriety:

A gift is almost anything of monetary value, such as cash, meals, trips, event tickets or services. The term “gift” does not include modest refreshments, such as a cup of coffee or items of nominal value of $50 or less. In order to maintain the highest standard of ethics, SAWS employees are prohibited from providing or accepting any gift or other benefit which could be construed by a reasonable person as creating a conflict of interest, or could compromise, or appear to compromise, an employee’s ability to make objective business decisions in SAWS’ best interest. No policy can anticipate or address the full range of possible circumstances. Employees are encouraged to evaluate whether the receipt or solicitation of a gift or benefit is in keeping with SAWS’ mission to deliver sustainable, affordable water services and to avoid any appearance of impropriety or favoritism.