Author: HCMUD 502

Freezing Weather Notification

Winter weather and freezing temperatures are expected this week across Texas. The National Weather Service is forecasting widespread freezing temperatures on Friday and Saturday morning (12/23 – 12/24). In such conditions, it is imperative to protect the “Four P’s”: People, pets, pipes and plants.

People

  • Keep warm, stay inside if possible.
  • If you need to go out, dress in layers and wear hats, gloves and an appropriate coat.
  • Avoid overexertion, as cold weather puts added strain on your body.

Pets

  • Bring pets inside, and move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas.
  • Keep adequate food and water available.

Pipes

  • Disconnect outdoor hoses, drain and store in protected area.
  • Wrap exposed faucets and pipes – including those outside the house or in unheated crawl spaces, attics, garages and other areas.

Plants

  • Bring potted plants inside or store in garage near interior wall to provide extra warmth and protection from wind.
  • For cold-sensitive outdoor plants, put down extra mulch and consider covering with a cloth fabric of some kind to shield the plants from wind and frost.

Additionally, if you have an irrigation system, turn off the water to the system at your backflow preventer and then drain the system so your irrigation pipes and sprinkler heads are not damaged.

As it pertains to the dripping of faucets, we are asking and advising our residents and customers NOT to drip their faucets. This could cause a dip in water pressure at your facility. If you reside within the greater Houston area and are part of the Regional Water Authorities (West Harris County Regional Water Authority, North Fort Bend Regional Water Authority, North Harris County Regional Water Authority), or receive water from the City of Houston, dripping faucets will put a strain on the system resulting in low pressure or even depleting the water system.

The following sites can also be used as a source of information and to keep you updated:

 

No Boil Water Notice for HCMUD 502

There is no boil water notice in effect for Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 500, which provides water service to Towne Lake residents. The City of Houston has issued a Boil Water Notice for their water system and other systems affected 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 MUD No. 502 receivers. Again, Harris County MUD No. 502 is not currently under a Boil Water Notice.

In the event a Boil Water Notice needs to be issued for our MUD, notification will be provided. For immediate and up-to-date 24/7 information, you can always reach EDP’s 24-hour Customer Service line at (832) 467-1599.

Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The HARRIS COUNTY M.U.D. #502 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2022 on October 5, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at 9955 Barker Cypress Road, Suite 250, Cypress, TX 77433. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners.

Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local property tax database on which you can easily access information regarding your property taxes, including information about proposed tax rates and scheduled public hearings of each entity that taxes your property.

Click here to read the notice.

Voluntary Water User Restrictions

Dear Customer:

Due to ongoing drought conditions, Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 502 has initiated Stage 1 water conservation measures. We may require mandatory water use restrictions if conditions worsen.

Voluntary water use restrictions now in place:

  1. Water Customers are requested to limit all outdoor water usage, including, but not limited to, lawn and garden watering, car washing, and window washing to even-numbered days for Customers with even-numbered addresses and odd-numbered days for water Customers with -odd-numbered addresses, and only between the hours of 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and 12:00 midnight to 6:00 am In the even no street address exists, Customers living on the north and west side of a street should use water outdoors only on even-numbered days and Customers living on the south and east side of a street should use water outdoors only on odd-numbered days.

The Board of Directors appreciates your cooperation and perseverance during this Conservation Condition. Once the Conservation Condition ends, we will notify you, and you may then return to normal usage. If conditions should worsen, it may be necessary to proceed to Stage 2, at which time you will be notified of the more stringent restrictions to ensure the availability of water in your community.

Summer Water Usage and Conservation Tips

Recently the Houston area has been experiencing hotter and drier than normal weather conditions, which has resulted in an increased demand on our water system. Please know that Harris County MUD No. 500, as Master District (MUD 500), is aware of the lower water pressure in its Service Area within the Towne Lake community during peak times, such as 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. MUD 500’s operator, Environmental Development Partners, has been conducting an investigation for any possible system irregularities and is reviewing several options to help alleviate the loss of pressure. As a community there are some ways you can help reduce demand during those peak usage times by varying domestic usage:

  • • Landscape irrigation is the largest demand on our system. If you have an irrigation system, change your irrigation times to earlier hours in the morning such as between 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., or move the time to 9:00 p.m. or later at night.
    • Over irrigating is the also one of the largest sources of overuse in our water supply. Want to know how long and how much to water? Check out https://www.watermyyard.org/#/Location
      There is a Cypress weather station monitored by Texas A&M AgriLife that provides watering recommendations.
  • Consider showering at night instead of in the early morning hours.
  • Run your dishwasher or washing machine during the day or just before going to bed at night.

You also can help do your part by ensuring you are using water wisely. In the Towne Lake Community, MUD 500 has partnered with the Towne Lake Community Association to allow the Association to use the water from the lakes to irrigate the medians and green spaces to minimize impact to our drinking water system. Among residents, a family’s water use can double or even triple during the warm summer months due to the impact of outdoor watering and irrigation, which can lead to significantly higher water bills. Here are some tips to help save water, and as a result, to help save you money.

Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The HARRIS COUNTY M.U.D. #502 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2021 on October 6, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at 9955 Barker Cypress Road, Suite 250, Cypress, TX 77433. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners.

Click here to read notice.

Boil Water Notice Rescinded

On 2/17/2021, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the Harris County Municipal Utility District 502 to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform customers, individuals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of 2/22/2021.

If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact the District’s operator, Environmental Development Partners at 832-467-1599 or toll free at 1-866-467-1599.

So, what do I do after the Boil Water advisory has been lifted? Some guidance is available at https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/watersystemrepair.html and https://houstonemergency.org/wp-content/uploads/Boil-Water-Notice-2292020.pdf.