Water

Dear Customer:

Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 502 (MUD 502) has rescinded Stage 2 (mandatory) and re-initiated Stage 1 (voluntary) water conservation measures for potable (drinking) water.

Stage 1 (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 evennumbered 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 event 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.

Please check the settings on the controller for your irrigation system to make adjustments to the dates and times the system runs to implement these requested changes. Please note that the Towne Lake Community Association uses non-potable water from the lakes for irrigation of certain common areas throughout the Towne Lake community, which helps to reduce demand on the potable water system and preserve the availability of potable water for other uses.

MUD 502 will continue to monitor potable water use and will provide another notice if the drought stage changes or if Stage 1 drought conditions have been lifted. Please keep in mind that, despite the recent cooler, wetter conditions, the Houston metropolitan area remains in drought conditions. As a result, the MUD 502 Board continues to strongly encourage all residents to carefully monitor their water usage and continue to voluntarily conserve potable water. The MUD 502 Board of Directors appreciates your cooperation and perseverance during this challenging time.

Dear Customer:

Due to ongoing drought conditions, Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 502 has initiated Stage 2 water conservation measures. We may require more water use restrictions if conditions worsen.

Water use restrictions now in place:

1. Water Customers are required 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 event 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.
2. All outdoor water use, including but not limited to lawn and garden watering, car washing, and window washing, must be conducted with a hand-held hose with a manual on-off nozzle.
3. The District shall recommend that the following public water uses not essential for public health and safety be curtailed:
   • Street washing;
   • Fire hydrant flushin; and
   • Filling of swimming pools

Please note that the Towne Lake Community Association uses non-potable water from the lakes for irrigation of certain common areas throughout the Towne Lake community, which helps to reduce demand on the potable water system and preserve the availability of potable water for other uses. Such non-potable water usage is not covered by these restrictions.

The following penalties shall apply to anyone violating the terms of this Plan or the Drought Response Measures or Emergency Response Measures adopted pursuant hereto:

A. First Violation. Any person or entity who violates this Plan shall receive written notification of such violation, which notice shall set forth (i) the date of the violation, (ii) the nature of the violation, (iii) the Drought Response Measures then in effect, and (iv) the penalties applicable for any further violations of this Plan; provided, however, that if such person or entity has ever previously violated this Plan, the penalties set forth in Section B below, may, in the discretion of the Board, be imposed.

B. Subsequent Violations.

1. Disconnection for Noncompliance. If any person or entity violates any provision of this Plan more than one time (which violation shall constitute an unauthorized use of District services and/or facilities), then in addition to any other remedies,penalties, sanctions and enforcement procedures provided for herein, the District shall have the right to terminate water service to such person or entity after notice and any other procedural requirements in the District’s rate order are satisfied.
2. Monetary Penalties for Noncompliance. If any person or entity violates any provision of this Plan more than one time (which violation shall constitute an unauthorized use of District services and/or facilities), then, in addition to disconnection as provided in Subsection B1 of this Section, the Board of the District, after providing required notice, may impose a penalty of up to the jurisdictional limit of a justice court, for each violation of this Plan. Each day that a breach of any provision of this Plan continues shall be considered a separate violation. This penalty shall be in addition to any other legal rights and remedies of the District as may be allowed by law.

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 3, at which time you will be notified of the more stringent restrictions to ensure the availability of water in your community.

Please be advised that the Master District has triggered Stage 1 (voluntary reductions) of its Drought Contingency Plan due to the ongoing drought conditions and is requesting that all potable water users reduce their usage immediately.

Potable water usage is increasing rapidly in the Master District’s Service Area (consisting of Harris County MUD Nos. 500, 501, 502, and 503), and under the Master District’s Drought Contingency Plan, we may be required to implement mandatory water use restrictions if conditions continue to worsen. The Master District encourages each Participant to implement one or more drought response measures in your Drought Contingency Plan, as applicable. We will continue to monitor potable water use and will provide another notice if the drought stage changes or if Stage 1 drought conditions have been lifted.

We appreciate your cooperation during this challenging time. A copy of correspondence sent to customers within Harris County MUD No. 500, as a Participant District, is attached.

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Dear Customer:

Due to ongoing drought conditions, Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 500 (MUD 500) has initiated Stage 1 (voluntary) water conservation measures for potable (drinking) water and is requesting that all potable water users reduce their usage immediately. Potable water usage is increasing rapidly and under MUD 500’s Drought Contingency Plan, we may be required to implement mandatory water use restrictions if conditions continue to worsen. Last summer, when we requested voluntary conservation, you answered the call and were able to ensure a continued sufficient water supply for the Towne Lake community. Now that drought conditions have returned, we need your help again to reduce potable water usage and avoid the need for mandatory restrictions!

Stage 1 (Voluntary) water use restrictions now in place:

Customers are requested to voluntarily limit all outdoor potable water usage, including, but not limited to, lawn and garden watering, car washing, and window washing, as follows:

1. District residents and other users of water within the District with even-numbered addresses should use potable water outdoors only on even-numbered days, and District residents and other users of water within the District with odd-numbered addresses should use potable water outdoors only on odd-numbered days. In the event no street address exists, District residents and other users of water within the District lining on the north and west side of the street should use potable water outdoors only on even-numbered days, and District residents and other users of water within the District on the south and east side of the street should use potable water outdoors only on odd-numbered days. District residents and other users of water within the District with irrigation controllers that do not have an even-odd option should use potable water outdoors no more than every other day.
2. Potable water should not be used outdoors for irrigation or other uses in the morning between the hours of 6:00 am and 10:00 am, and in the evening between the hours of 6:00 pm and 12:00 am (midnight).

Please check the settings on the controller for your irrigation system to make adjustments to the dates and times the system runs to implement these requested changes. Please note that the Towne Lake Community Association uses non-potable water from the lakes for irrigation of certain common areas throughout the Towne Lake community, which helps to reduce demand on the potable water system and preserve the availability of potable water for other uses.

MUD 500 will continue to monitor potable water use and will provide another notice if the drought stage changes or if Stage 1 drought conditions have been lifted. The MUD 500 Board of Directors appreciates your cooperation and perseverance during this challenging time.

At the City of Houston’s request, the WHCRWA has turned off the valve connecting it to the City’s water system and is not receiving water from the City at this time.

WHCRWA’s water supplies will be limited and most retail water suppliers will utilize groundwater wells to meet demands. Please make every effort to reduce water consumption at this time.

WHCRWA will continue to keep you updated as this situation evolves.

The WHCRWA, which supplies HCMUD 500, 501 and 502’s water, is asking for a voluntary reduction in water usage.  We are asking that residents voluntarily reduce their water usage.

https://www.whcrwa.com/2022/12/23/requests-voluntary-reduction

The WHCRWA, which supplies HCMUD 500, 501 and 502’s water, is asking for a voluntary reduction in water usage.  We are asking that residents voluntarily reduce their water usage.

https://www.whcrwa.com/2022/12/23/requests-voluntary-reduction/

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.

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.

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.

The Harris County MUD 500 Master District Service Area, including Harris County MUD Nos. 500, 501, 502, and 503, remain under a boil water advisory at this time.

As you may have heard, the City of Houston has lifted its boil water advisory. The City supplies potable water to the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (Authority), which in turn supplies water to the Master District.

The Authority and the Master District now are taking the steps necessary to lift their respective boil water advisories, including water sampling. If the results are satisfactory, the Authority and the Master District may be able to lift their boil water advisories this evening or tomorrow, February 23rd. We will provide updated information as soon as it is available.