FALL BACK & TURN OFF
Fall is back and with it, the crisp cool air in the morning! One thing we all need to remember as Houston’s temperatures begin to drop and we enjoy the beautiful weather outside, is to adjust our sprinkler systems.
We have noticed in the past, that some residents choose to leave their sprinkler systems on during the winter. Remember leaving them on can cause the grass to become shallow and unhealthy. The basic rule of thumb is to turn off your sprinklers during the winter months.
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H.C. M.U.D #208 recommends our residents TURN OFF the sprinkler system and winterize the pipes when it’s time to reset our clocks for the end daylight savings time. |
Don’t forget about your sprinkler system! Sprinkler systems need to be winterized as well, since the PVC pipes are so close to the top of the ground, making them susceptible to a hard freeze. This will include at a minimum, your back flow preventer and depending upon the systems, some valves and pipes. Your back flow preventer is a brass device that sticks up out of the ground about a foot or two. Proper insulation of the back flow preventer and it’s piping protect it against leaks. If your system has a drain valve, you might also consider draining the system before a hard freeze is expected in the area. Water standing in the pipes can freeze, which could lead to unwanted leaks. The following short video describes a method for winterizing your irrigation system:
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Only you have control over your sprinkler system! When the clocks “Fall Back” don’t let your irrigation get off track! Turn your sprinklers OFF for the winter! EVERY DRIP COUNTS! |
Summer Water Conservation Rates
Higher summer water conservation rates are now in effect, go to Water and Sewer Rates
Summer Water Conservation Rates
Higher summer water conservation rates are now in effect, go to Water and Sewer Rates
MUD 208 Entering Stage 1 Drought – Voluntary Conservation
As a result of the ongoing power outages, WHCRWA, one of our major water suppliers, has started Stage 1 Drought Contingency and requested all districts do the same. We request that all MUD 208 residents follow our district’s Stage 1 Drought Contingency Plan.
- Check for and repair all leaks, dripping faucets and running toilets.
- Check for and correct excessive irrigation or uncorrected leaks that result in water leaving the User’s property by drainage onto adjacent properties or public or private roadways or streets or gutters.
- All outdoor water use is requested to occur between the hours of 7 pm and 5 am of the following day on no more than two days per week conforming to the following schedule:
- Sundays and Thursdays for District residents and other users of water within the District with even-numbered street addresses.
- Saturdays and Wednesdays for District residents and other users of water within the District with odd-numbered street addresses
- Tuesdays and Fridays for all other Users in the event no address exists
Voluntary Water Conservation
Voluntary Water Conservation is in effect due to Hurricane Beryl. The MUD 208 Water Plant is running on emergency power, please continue the Voluntary Water Conservation until further notice.
Construction on Royal Gardens at Park Falls
MUD 208 will be repairing and replacing an underground water line and pavement on Royal Gardens at the Park Falls intersection. The work will start on May 1st and will take approximately 3 weeks. During this construction, Royal Gardens will be restricted to one-lane traffic at various times. Please use caution and follow warning signs when driving in this area.
Summer Water Conservation Rates
Higher summer water conservation rates are now in effect, go to Water and Sewer Rates
Summer Already??
Once again, we are all getting our yards back to the healthy, lovely green specimens they were prior to the abuse they suffered during the winter. Have you turned your sprinkler system on and walked the whole system? We recommend you do this to ensure your sprinkler heads are not broken and your whole yard is getting the proper amount of water that it needs. This should be done at the beginning of the irrigation season, and monthly throughout the season. This is especially true if you have a lawn service and your system runs overnight as you might not realize one of the sprinkler heads is broken and you have a fountain that is spraying water everywhere. Remember water is getting more expensive, mostly from charges passed on from the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WHCRWA). Also, you don’t need to water your lawn daily. You want to apply about a half-inch to an inch in order to soak the soil deeply. Then allow it to dry out, bringing air back into the soil, before you give it another thorough soaking. This saves water and helps develop a good-rooted, resilient turf.
Water Rate Increase
The Board of Directors of Harris County MUD 208 (the District) voted an across-the-board water rate increase to our customers. The base rate (minimum charge) has increased by $1.50 and the usage tiers have increased by $0.50 per 1,000 gallons. To view the new rates, go to Water and Sewer Rates. This is the first overall water rate increase in the District’s water fees since 1996, that is 28 years ago. In 2010, to aide in the District’s water conservation effort, a 4th tier was added to the rate structure for >30,000 gallons a month users. The sewer rate has increased by $1.00 to $16.00 flat rate. With these increases, the average water user in our District will see approximately a $3.00 increase monthly. For top water users (> 30,000 gallons) the increase would be about $17.00. These new rates equate to about a 6% increase (this percentage varies depending on actual usage).
The monthly water bill has 3 components, the Base Water Charge (District’s water rates), the Base Sewer Charge (District’s sewer rate) and the WHCRWA Charge (West Harris County Regional Water Authority rate). The District’s sewer rate is not only based on the sewer system infrastructure maintenance costs but also a user connection fee imposed by CJOB (Copperfield Joint Operations Board) who manage the sewage treatment plant. The WHCRWA charge is a pass-thru cost to our customers and is currently at $4.35 per every 1,000 gallons used. The District has no control over the WHCRWA rate.
The District’s Board felt this water rate increase was necessary as a result of rising costs as well as an aging infrastructure that is requiring more repairs as well as major component replacement and upgrades, see Aging Infrastructure & Drought-Like Weather – A Bad Combination article below.