SAN ANTONIO -- BexarMet announced Tuesday that it would provide water to extinguish a Helotes mulch fire after San Antonio Water System board members voted to deny a request for 300,000 gallons of water.

BexarMet spokesman T.J. Connolly said BexarMet is obligated to help their neighbors in need.

"This is one of the most challenging environmental problems we've seen in this area in decades, and the idea that SAWS would cut and run and not help their neighbors is inexcusable."

BexarMet officials said they will use tanker trucks to get water to the giant mulch fire and offer as much water as they can.

Officials also said service to BexarMet customers will not be affected.

BexarMet General Manager Gil Olivares said BexarMet staff is analyzing the company's feasibility to deliver the water to fight the fire.

SAWS Gives Reason For Decision

SAWS made their decision because their greatest concern was that runoff water from the firefighting effort might contaminate the Edwards Aquifer, officials said.

SAWS chairman Alex Briseno said SAWS can't afford to trade a short-term air quality problem for a long-term water quality problem.

"We can't afford to have this contaminated water go into our facilities," Briseno said. "We have facilities downstream that produce 117 million gallons a day that can impact 10 thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people a day."

SAWS' decision came hours before a contractor was going to resume efforts to fight the blaze, which has been burning since Christmas Day.

The board also passed a resolution to increase water testing and well monitoring in the area.

SAWS Gives Reason For Decision

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality officials, which hired a contractor to fight the fire, said they were surprised by the SAWS board decision.

A TCEQ spokesman said that he wasn't sure if firefighting duties, which were suspended for two weeks due to water contamination to two private wells, would resume.

A major portion of the plan was going to require clay-lined pits to catch runoff.

The latest development prompted the attorney representing the mulch owner, Henry Zumwalt, to suggest that state officials reconsider Zumwalt's original plan.

"Use a drag line to tear the hill down and snuff out the fire as it comes off, either with dirt or small amounts of water," said attorney David Barton.

There was no immediate word if TCEQ officials would reconsider Zumwalt's plan.

A lawmaker also got in the fray of the decision.

State Rep. David Leibowitz issued a statement calling SAWS' decision to deny water, unacceptable.

Leibowitz said he's frustrated that SAWS didn't express an opinion until the firefighting was supposed to start.