The following summer water conservation rates are now in effect:

The WHCRWA water rate and the sewer rate are billed in addition to the rates shown above.

For more details go to Detailed Water & Sewer Rate Order

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 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 Supply from the WHCRWA has been restored. Please return to normal water use.

WHCRWA requests a voluntary reduction in water usage. See details on their website: https://www.whcrwa.com/2022/12/23/requests-voluntary-reduction/

Take necessary precautions. Wrap Water Pipes, Drain Sprinkler Systems & Cover Outside Hose Bibs. Visit https://www.h2oconsulting.net/winterize-your-home/ for more details.

NOTICE REGARDING EXTREME WEATHER EMERGENCIES

This communication is to notify you that Harris County MUD #208, your retail water and sanitary sewer provider is:

• prohibited from imposing late fees or disconnecting retail water or sewer service for nonpayment of bills that are due during an extreme weather emergency until after the emergency is over;
• required to offer a payment schedule to a customer who requests such a schedule for unpaid bills due during an extreme weather emergency; and
• prohibited from disconnecting retail water or sewer service for nonpayment of bills due during an extreme weather emergency until after a payment schedule has been offered and the customer has either declined to accept the payment schedule in a timely fashion or violated the terms of the payment schedule.

For purposes of this communication, an “extreme weather emergency” is defined as a period beginning when the previous day’s highest temperature in an area did not exceed 28 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is predicted to remain at or below that level for the next 24 hours according to the nearest National Weather Service reports for that area. An extreme weather emergency is over on the second business day the temperature exceeds 28 degrees Fahrenheit.

AVISO SOBRE EMERGENCIAS CLIMATICAS EXTREMAS

Esta comunicaci6n es Qara notificarle que su proveedor de agua y alcantarillado sanitario that Harris County MUD #208, es:

• prohibido imponer cargos por demora o desconectar el servicio de agua o alcantarillado por falta de pago de las facturas que vencen durante una emergencia climatica extrema hasta despues de que termine la emergencia;
• obligado a ofrecer un plan de pago a un cliente que solicite dicho acuerdo para las facturas adeudadas durante una emergencia climatica extrema; y
• prohibido desconectar el servicio de agua o alcantarillado por falta de pago de facturas adeudadas durante una emergencia climatica extrema hasta que se haya ofrecido un plan de pago y el cliente se haya negado a aceptar el plan de pago de manera oportuna o haya violado los terminos del plan de pago.

A los fines de este comunicado, una “emergencia climatica extrema” se define como un periodo que cornienza cuando la temperatura mas alta del dia anterior en un area no super6 los 28 grados Fahrenheit y se pronostica que la temperatura permanecera en ese nivel o por debajo de este durante las pr6ximas 24 horas. de acuerdo con los informes del Servicio Meteorol6gico Nacional mas cercano para esa area. Una emergencia climatica extrema termina el segundo dia habil en que la temperatura supera los 28 grados Fahrenheit.

Water is Safe to Drink, MUD 208 is Not affected by the Current City of Houston Notice.

The Board of Directors of Harris County MUD 208 (the district) voted to decrease the 2022 MUD Property Tax Rate to $0.36 per $100 valuation. The total tax rate consists of $0.07 per $100 valuation to pay the District’s debt service and $0.29 per $100 valuation to fund maintenance and operation expenditures for the next year. Please keep in mind this rate is for the district only. Other entities, including the county, school district, hospital district, etc., set their own rates.

The Board of Directors also authorized Bob Leared Interests, the tax assessor-collector for the district, to mail duplicate tax statements in January 2023. These statements will be mailed to homeowners whose original tax statement was requested by and mailed to a mortgage company AND remains unpaid at the time of the January mailing. If you receive a DUPLICATE TAX STATEMENT, this is your reminder to contact your mortgage company to ensure their timely payment of your MUD taxes by January 31, 2023. If you receive a statement, but escrow your taxes, it is your responsibility to forward the tax statement on to your mortgage company.

**This year the Harris County MUD #208 tax statements contain a QR code.  When scanned with a smartphone this QR code will take you directly to the account on the tax assessor website and payment can be made at that time.**

You can view, pay, and print receipts for your MUD tax account online at www.bli-tax.com or through the Bob Leared Interests link on our website, www.harriscountymud208.com There is an additional processing fee when making online payments. In addition to paying through the website, you can pay the district taxes by phone, by calling OPAY Customer Service at (800)487-4567 between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm CST. You must tell the representative you need to pay your TEXAS taxes. You will need your account number which begins with “229”. There is an additional processing fee when making payments by phone.

If you have not received your 2022 Harris County MUD 208 tax statement by the end of November, and you are unable to locate your account online at www.bli-tax.com, please contact the tax assessor-collector at 713-932-9011 to discuss your tax account.

BOB LEARED IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH DOXO.COM

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.

H.C. M.U.D #208 recommends out residents
TURN OFF the sprinkler system and winterize
the pipes when it’s time to reset our clocks for
the end of 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:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8oKOv6GGfU

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!