How it started…

In 1975, the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) was created by the Texas Legislature and given the power to restrict groundwater withdrawals in coastal counties as a method of minimizing subsidence and helping the aquifers recharge.

The HGSD’s 1999 Regulatory Plan – which applied to the north and northwest parts of Harris County for the first time — required phased conversion from groundwater to surface water (water from lakes and rivers) — 30% by 2010; 60% by 2025; and 80% by 2035.

30% by 2010
60% by 2025
80% by 2035

Reasoning that it would be virtually impossible for an individual municipal utility district (MUD) or small city to accomplish this challenge on their own, the Texas Legislature created the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WHCRWA) in 2001 to comply with HGSD’s surface water conversion mandates.

Video: A Spotlight on WHCRWA

How it started…

In 1975, the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) was created by the Texas Legislature and given the power to restrict groundwater withdrawals in coastal counties as a method of minimizing subsidence and helping the aquifers recharge.

The HGSD’s 1999 Regulatory Plan – which applied to the north and northwest parts of Harris County for the first time — required phased conversion from groundwater to surface water (water from lakes and rivers) — 30% by 2010; 60% by 2025; and 80% by 2035.

30% by 2010
60% by 2025
80% by 2035

Reasoning that it would be virtually impossible for an individual municipal utility district (MUD) or small city to accomplish this challenge on their own, the Texas Legislature created the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WHCRWA) in 2001 to comply with HGSD’s surface water conversion mandates.

10

Things you need to know about your future water supply.

Subsidence
The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) is a regulatory agency that works with regional water authorities and government entities to mitigate the risk of subsidence. The HGSD has mandated the conversion from use of water wells to alternative water (surface water).
Population
Our area’s steadily increasing population and decades of aggressive groundwater usage, has not only caused aquifers to decline, but has resulted in land subsidence, and increased flooding. The Texas Water Development Board projects a 24% population increase in WHCRWA over 50 years.
Conversion Timeline
HGSD groundwater conversion requirements include; converting to 30% alternative water by 2010 (Accomplished); 60% by 2025 (In Progress); and 80% by 2035.
Luce Bayou
The completed Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project includes a pump station, 3 miles of Dual 96-inch Diameter Pipelines and 23.5 Miles of Earthen Canal.
NEWPP
The Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) Expansion Project on Lake Houston is well along in construction, and will increase the City of Houston's 80 million gallons per day plant capacity to treat an additional 320 million gallons of water each day.
SWSP
The Surface Water Supply Project will deliver 150 million gallons per day (MGD) of surface water from the NEWPP through over 55 miles of waterlines, and two pump stations to retail water providers in the West Harris County Regional Water Authority and North Fort Bend Water Authority.
Distribution System
WHCRWA has already constructed over 81.9 miles of distribution waterlines, and Pump Station #1. WHCRWA is delivering surface water to 70 water plants, with 49 districts receiving surface water. WHCRWA has an aggressive plan in place for design and construction of the WHCRWA’s distribution facilities to meet the HGSD conversion mandates.
Project Costs
To meet the HGSD groundwater reduction requirements and to ensure a reliable, long-term surface water supply a regional approach was adopted, partnering with the City of Houston and other area water authorities. The total estimated regional costs are estimated to be approximately $6.24 Billion.
How do we pay for it?
WHCRWA does not charge a property tax, and therefore must charge sufficient surface water and water well pumpage rates to cover the debt service payments for bonds sold to pay for projects, as well as operating costs. The Board of Directors is committed to keeping the cost of water as low as possible and to keeping any rate increases reasonable and consistent with this commitment.
conservation
For more than a decade, WHCRWA has sponsored water conservation education programs for area students. Each year, the WHCRWA publishes a newsletter in order to provide current information about critical water issues and conservation related topics. WHCRWA recently launched a online learning management system wateru.whcrwa.com

10

Things you need to know about your future water supply.

Subsidence
The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) is a regulatory agency that works with regional water authorities and government entities to mitigate the risk of subsidence. The HGSD has mandated the conversion from use of water wells to alternative water (surface water).
Population
Our area’s steadily increasing population and decades of aggressive groundwater usage, has not only caused aquifers to decline, but has resulted in land subsidence, and increased flooding. The Texas Water Development Board projects a 24% population increase in WHCRWA over 50 years.
Conversion Timeline
HGSD groundwater conversion requirements include; converting to 30% alternative water by 2010 (Accomplished); 60% by 2025 (In Progress); and 80% by 2035.
Luce Bayou
The completed Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project includes a pump station, 3 miles of twin 96
NEWPP
The Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) Expansion Project on Lake Houston is well along in construction, and will increase the City of Houston's 80 million gallons per day plant capacity to treat an additional 320 million gallons of water each day.
SWSP
The Surface Water Supply Project will deliver 150 million gallons per day (MGD) of surface water from the NEWPP through over 55 miles of waterlines, and two pump stations to retail water providers in the West Harris County Regional Water Authority and North Fort Bend Water Authority.
Distribution System
WHCRWA has already constructed over 79.8 miles of distribution waterlines, and Pump Station #1. WHCRWA is delivering surface water to 67 water plants, with 46 districts converted to surface water. WHCRWA has an aggressive plan in place for design and construction of the WHCRWA’s distribution facilities to meet the HGSD conversion mandates.
Project Costs
To meet the HGSD groundwater reduction requirements and to ensure a reliable, long-term surface water supply a regional approach was adopted, partnering with the City of Houston and other area water authorities. The total estimated regional costs are estimated to be approximately $6.24 Billion.
How do we pay for it?
WHCRWA does not charge a property tax, and therefore must charge sufficient surface water and water well pumpage rates to cover the debt service payments for bonds sold to pay for projects, as well as operating costs. The Board of Directors is committed to keeping the cost of water as low as possible and to keeping any rate increases reasonable and consistent with this commitment.
conservation
For more than a decade, WHCRWA has sponsored water conservation education programs for area students. Each year, the WHCRWA distributes a newsletter to residents in area subdivisions in order to provide current information about critical water issues and conservation related topics. WHCRWA recently launched a online learning management system wateru.whcrwa.com

Experience Matters

NEWPP Phase 2 Aerial

Experience matters when undertaking supervision of billion-dollar regional civil engineering projects. The WHCRWA’s Board of Directors includes experienced experts in various business and civil pursuits who are tasked with securing and sustaining a long-term water supply of potable drinking water.

From the outset, the WHCRWA has worked with the MUDs, the City of Katy, and the City of Houston (the primary owner of water rights in the region) to design and construct new water infrastructure to comply with HGSD surface water conversion mandates.

The WHCRWA successfully met and continues to meet the 30% conversion requirement that went into effect in 2010. The WHCRWA is currently engaged in the projects needed to meet the HGSD’s 2025 and 2035 conversion requirements, including: the City of Houston’s Northeast Water Purification Expansion Project (NEWPP), the Surface Water Supply Project (SWSP) transmission line (a large diameter water line that runs from Lake Houston to west Houston/Katy areas), and distribution lines connecting to the MUDs in the WHCRWA. The WHCRWA is well-positioned to comply with the upcoming HGSD conversion mandates

Keeping the cost of water as low as possible

The WHCRWA Board of Directors continues their commitment to keeping the cost of water as low as possible and to keeping the periodic rate increases reasonable and consistent with that commitment. Projecting rates is a complex process due to unpredictable economic conditions and fluctuating construction and labor costs. Increasing the WHCRWA fee steadily and in smaller amounts has helped to avoid sharp increases in the charges over the years and has assisted its wholesale customers plan for gradual rate increases.

Pumpage and Surface Water Rates effective 1/1/2024

Groundwater – $3.95/1,000 gallons and
Surface Water – $4.35/1,000 gallons

Some MUDs and cities modify the WHCRWA water usage rates above and pass-through various costs on the retail water bill to cover such things as leaks in the system, mandatory flushing, community water uses which include common areas, (esplanades, amenity lakes or ponds, etc.) and emergency/fire services that require variable amounts of water from month to month.

MUDs in HGSD Regulatory Area 3 that do not meet the HGSD surface water conversion requirements as mandated by the Texas Legislature would be forced to pay the HGSD’s $12.12 per 1000 gallons disincentive fee.

WHCRWA

$4.35 /1000 gallons

HGSD

$12.12 /1000 gallons

Water Usage - Groundwater / Surface Water - 2025 Conversion Percentage 34.59%

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