Welcome to Harris County MUD 168
Welcome to Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 168 (the “District”).
The Board of Directors is proud to serve its residents. The goals of the Board include:
- Continue to provide the highest quality of water supply and wastewater treatment service;
- Provide reliable service and customer support;
- Maintain the integrity of the District water and sewer plants and facilities;
- Provide and maintain recreational amenities; and
- Be fiscally responsible in order to ensure the financial stability and growth of the District.
What is a Municipal Utility District?
A Municipal Utility District (“MUD”) is a local governmental entity organized for the purpose of providing safe drinking water and sanitary sewer service to the areas within its boundaries. Additionally, a MUD can exercise other typical governmental powers, including drainage relief within its boundaries, the levy and collection of ad valorem taxes, issuing bonds with voter authorization, charge for authorized services, adopt and enforce rules and regulations to accomplish the purposes for which the MUD was created, develop and maintain certain public improvements such as parks and jogging trails, provide solid waste management services, and provide police protection services. While the powers of a MUD may seem very broad, MUDs are one of the most highly regulated and controlled governmental entities in the State of Texas. The powers of a MUD are limited to those expressly provided for by statute and the Texas Constitution and there is significant oversight provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (the “TCEQ”).
Latest News
Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan
NHCRWA implements Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan
The City of Houston (COH), the primary source of water for the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (Authority), has entered stage two of their Drought Contingency Plan, effective on August 27, 2023. The COH’s drought response calls for mandatory water conservations efforts to reduce water use, that will reduce the daily volume of water delivered. The Houston Public Works Release can be found under https://cityofhouston.news/stagetwodrought/ .
As required by the Authority’s Drought Contingency Plan, the Authority must enter Stage 2 of our Drought Contingency Plan, when the COH enters into Stage 2 water shortage of their Drought Contingency Plan. The Authority’s Drought Contingency Plan requires that any customer receiving water from the Authority or well owner whose well is included under the Authority’s Harris-Galveston Subsidence District aggregate water well permit:
- Repair detectible water leaks within 72 hours of discovery;
- Utilize water conservation measures such as displacement bags, low-flow shower heads and leak detection tablets. Additional water conservation tips can be found at www.irrygator.com;
- Limit outdoor irrigation to the hours 7:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following day on no more than two (2) days per week, in conformity with the following schedule (no watering on Mondays):
- Sundays and Thursdays for single-family residential customers with even-numbered street addresses
- Saturdays and Wednesdays for single-family residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses; and
- Tuesdays and Fridays for all other customers
Compliance with the above requirements is mandatory.
No Boil Water Notice In Effect
There is no boil water notice in effect for Harris County M.U.D. No. 168 residents or businesses. The City of Houston has issued a Boil Water Notice for their water system and other systems effected by the City’s issue. While local media (and social media) are reporting boil water notices for the City and those other Water Districts in our area, these notices do not pertain to Harris County M.U.D. No. 168 receivers, as the District maintains independent water production facilities. Again, Harris County M.U.D. No. 168 is not currently under a Boil Water Notice.
In the event a Boil Water Notice needs to be issued for our community, notification will be provided. For immediate and up-to-date 24/7 information, you can always reach out to EDP’s 24-hour Customer Service line at (832) 467-1599.
Stage 1 Water Conservation Measures
Due to ongoing drought conditions, The North Harris County Regional Authority (NHCRWA) initiated Stage 1 water conservation measures. Because Harris County Municipal Utility District 168 is located within the boundaries of the NHCRWA, we are required to initiate Stage 1 voluntary water conservation measures. The NHCRWA and Harris County Municipal Utility District 168 may require mandatory water use restrictions if conditions worsen. Effective immediately, the following voluntary water use restrictions are in place:
Voluntary Water Use Restrictions Now in Place:
- Recommend no outdoor water use between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
- Recommend all outdoor water usage, including, but not limited to, lawn and garden watering, car washing, and window washing, to be limited as follows:
- District residents and other users of water within the district with even numbered addresses should consider using water outdoors on even number days (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8)
- District residents and other users of water within the district with odd numbered addresses should consider use of water outdoors on odd numbered days (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9)
- In the event no street address exists, we recommend only district residents and other users of water within the district living on the north and west side of a street use water outdoors on even numbered days. District residents and other users of water within the district on the south and east side of a street should consider using water outdoors on odd numbered days.
Thank you for your cooperation – Customers will be notified when these voluntary restrictions are no longer recommended or if conditions warrant additional conservation measures.
Water Conservation 2022
Water Conservations: What you need to know
We know living in Texas, water conservation can be inherently more difficult during the summer months and that’s why the EPA and the Texas Water Development Board has published water savings tips that will not only show you how to help conserve water, but also help you conserve cost.
The EPA has recommended the following:
Outdoors
- Maximize the use of natural vegetation and establish smaller lawns. For portions of your lot where a lawn and landscaping are desired, ask your local nursery for tips about plants and grasses with low water demand (such as creeping fescue). Consider planting more trees, shrubs, ground covers, and less grass. Shrubs and ground covers provide greenery for much of the year and usually demand less water. Use native plants in flower beds. Native plants have adapted to rainfall conditions in Texas and often provide good wildlife habitat. Cluster plants that require extra care together to minimize time and save water.
- When mowing your lawn, set the mower blades to 2-3 inches high. Longer grass shades the soil improving moisture retention, has more leaf surface to take in sunlight, allowing it to grow thicker and develop a deeper root system. This helps grass survive drought, tolerate insect damage and fend off disease.
- Only water the lawn when necessary. If you water your lawn and garden, only do it once a week, if rainfall isn’t sufficient. Avoid watering on windy and hot days. Water the lawn and garden in the morning or late in the evening to maximize the amount of water which reaches the plant roots (otherwise most of the water will evaporate). Use soaker hoses to water gardens and flower beds. If sprinklers are used, take care to be sure they don’t water walkways and buildings. When you water, put down no more than 1 inch (set out an empty cans to determine how long it takes to water 1 inch) each week. This watering pattern will encourage more healthy, deep grass roots. Over-watering is wasteful, encourages fungal growth and disease, and results in the growth of shallow, compacted root systems that are more susceptible to drought and foot traffic. If an automatic lawn irrigation system is used, be sure it has been properly installed, is programmed to deliver the appropriate amount and rate of water, and has rain shut-off capability.
- Apply mulch around shrubs and flower beds to reduce evaporation, promote plant growth and control weeds.
- Add compost or an organic matter to soil as necessary, to improve soil conditions and water retention.
- Collect rainfall for irrigation in a screened container (to prevent mosquito larvae growth).
- When washing a car, wet it quickly, then use a bucket of water to wash the car. Turn on the hose to final rinse (or let mother nature wash your car when it rains).
- Always use a broom to clean walkways, driveways, decks and porches, rather than hosing off these areas.
For more information, click below
The EPA has recommended the following:
For Every Room in the House With Plumbing
- Repair leaky faucets, indoors and out.
- Consider replacing old equipment (like toilets, dishwahers and laundry machines).
In the Kitchen
- When cooking, peel and clean vegetables in a large bowl of water instead of under running water.
- Fill your sink or basin when washing and rinsing dishes.
- Only run the dishwasher when it’s full.
- When buying a dishwasher, select one with a “light-wash” option.
- Only use the garbage disposal when necessary (composting is a great alternative).
- Install faucet aerators.
In the Bathroom
- Take short showers instead of baths.
- Turn off the water to brush teeth, shave and soap up in the shower. Fill the sink to shave.
- Repair leaky toilets. Add 12 drops of food coloring into the tank, and if color appears in the bowl one hour later, your toilet is leaking.
- Install a toilet dam, faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads.
Laundry
- Run full loads of laundry.
- When purchasing a new washing machine, buy a water saving model that can be adjusted to the load size.
For more information, click below
