IMPORTANT – SPECIAL WATER ISSUE – IMPORTANT
HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT #208
August, 2001
INTRODUCTION: Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 208 (MUD 208) is discussing many issues associated with the supply and cost of water, including the conversion from groundwater to surface water. These issues are linked to overall schedules and plans from the City of Houston (City), the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (West Authority), the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (North Authority), or a group of area districts working together as the Copperfield Consortium. This newsletter is intended to provide the residents of MUD 208 with the most current information, keeping you informed of the issues, future cost changes, and schedules.
Currently, we, residents of MUD 208, receive water from our own ground water well. The water is pumped from the Evangeline aquifer, one of two main aquifers in Harris County. This aquifer has been dramatically affected by an increased demand for water due to rapid population growth, as well as six years of drought and high temperatures. By the end of 2001, MUD 208 will need to decide the best solution for our future water supply.
OVERVIEW OF SUBSIDENCE: In the Harris-Galveston area there are underground aquifers from which we obtain fresh water. Subsidence is the sinking of the land as a result of the withdrawal of this groundwater. The land elevation lost to subsidence cannot be reversed. Subsidence increases the possibility of flood damage and damage to our underground infrastructure. Many factors have contributed to the subsidence problems in and around the Harris-Galveston area, such as an increased demand for water, which can be attributed to the rapidly growing Houston metropolitan area, coupled with the past six years of drought and high temperatures.
THE HARRIS-GALVESTON COASTAL SUBSIDENCE DISTRICT: Studies conducted by the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District (Subsidence District), the City, the Harris County Flood Control District, and others indicate that the main solution to subsidence is a reduction and/or elimination of groundwater pumpage by implementing conservation programs and converting to surface water.
In 1999, the Subsidence District adopted a plan, which divided the Subsidence District into three regulatory areas and specifically delineates the parameters of conversion. Areas 1 and 3 have, or are now, converting to surface water. MUD 208 is in Area 3, and as such, we must reduce our groundwater usage 30% by 2010, 70% by 2020, and 80% by 2030. Further, each large water well within Area 3 must be part of a Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP) by January 1, 2003. The Subsidence District will levy a charge for failure to be part of a GRP or convert according to the plan’s conversion dates, and a base fee will be applied to all permitted groundwater withdrawals which exceed 20% of the municipal utility district’s total demands. The charge is $3.00 per 1,000 gallons of water withdrawn from the aquifer and would equate to a charge to MUD 208, and eventually to the residents, of approximately $576,000 per year until we convert to surface water.
COPPERFIELD AND MUD 208: The Evangeline aquifer is the main source of groundwater in northwest Harris County. This aquifer has been drastically affected by pumpage. In fact, data suggests that northwest Houston (including MUD 208) is now the fastest sinking land in the coastal area. Between 1987 and 1995, some areas dropped as much as two feet. We estimate that MUD 208 will need to convert to surface water prior to the required date set by the Subsidence District because of the declining static water level. We have monitored our wells and realized a pattern of a loss of approximately 20 feet per year in our static water levels. In response to this, we have lowered our well and have recently constructed a new shallow water well. These measures assure us of having water until we convert to surface water.
FUTURE WATER SUPPLY: Years ago, the City secured the rights to surface water supplies for itself and the surrounding areas. The City owns almost all surface water rights in the region. The City expects to have a water supply available to the Copperfield area by the summer of 2003. This is currently the only supply of surface water available in the local area; therefore, we will most likely obtain our future water supply from the City. City water will meet the drinking water standards; however, it will taste different and have different costs. Even with this supply of water available, the question remains as to how best to bring it to MUD 208 in a reliable and cost-effective manner. At present we have several options.
NORTH AUTHORITY: The North Authority was created by the 76th Texas Legislature and approved by area voters in January 2001 to find and secure a long-term alternate water supply for north Harris County. The North Authority is a single entity representing 158 municipal utility districts and independent well owners. It is divided into five districts, with each district having its own elected representative to serve on the Board of Directors. The boundaries are north Harris County outside the City, north and east of US 290 and west of Lake Houston, north of Beltway 8, and to the Montgomery County line. The North Authority is in the planning, coordination, and negotiation phase of their efforts. MUD 208 is not in the North Authority.
WEST AUTHORITY: The West Authority, of which MUD 208 is a part, was created by the Texas Legislature in May 2001 to provide an entity that is responsible for providing surface water to the west side of Harris County outside the City limits. This entity has nine appointed directors, one for each precinct in the West Authority, who have just begun the task of preparing a plan to provide surface water to residents of west Harris County. Municipal utility districts in the West Authority have until December 31, 2001 to decide whether to stay in the West Authority or opt out and create our own GRP.
COPPERFIELD CONSORTIUM: The Copperfield Consortium (the Consortium) was created in 2000 to identify sources of surface water supply for the Copperfield area, in an effort to comprehensively evaluate our area’s needs and analyze various options for surface water conversion. The Consortium includes: Harris County MUD Nos. 130, 162, 163, 179, 186, 188, 208, and Spencer Road PUD.
SUMMARY: The current possible options are: (1) Join the City’s GRP since the City owns the vast majority of surface water rights in our region, (2) Join with the West Authority and purchase water from them, (3) Join with the North Authority by petition and purchase water from them, (4) prepare our own GRP and negotiate water purchase from the City, West Authority, or North Authority, or (5) do nothing and pay the impact fee yearly to the Subsidence District. We are currently pursuing options 2 and 4 as the most likely solutions with the most reasonable cost.
FUTURE IMPACTS ON YOU: The conversion from groundwater to surface water is not an easy task. Major pipelines will need to be constructed to deliver treated water to Copperfield and surrounding areas. Taxes and/or our monthly water bills will increase over a period of time to construct and/or connect to a new water system. The challenge for MUD 208 is to convert to surface water or a combination of surface water and groundwater when we need to. We are doing our best to minimize these cost impacts to you. The good news is that water should be available to MUD 208 residents from City sources when we need it.
We will still operate and maintain our current water wells, water lines and water plant, but will just get water from a different source. Our wells will be used as long as we possibly can and will be used for peak day demands. When we have more complete information on the cost impacts to you, we plan to send out another newsletter.
You can check our web site at www.harriscountymud208.com for any other information as well as links to the North Authority, the West Authority (when it is online), the Subsidence District, and to the City web sites for any additional information. We encourage you to stay informed on the issues and to let us know your ideas, thoughts, and opinions. You can contact us at:
Harris County
Municipal Utility District No. 208
1301 McKinney, Suite 5100
Houston, Texas 77010-3095
Phone: 713-651-3620
Fax: 713-651-5246
email: kgpeterson@fulbright.com