Neighborhoods Prepare for H20 Linkup with Houston

[mrfootball]

Family over in the Lakewood Forest area just got notice from their water district that the changeover from well water to the City of Houston's surface water will take place in the next two weeks. It came with a warning not to use the water for your Fish as it would kill them and not to drink it if you're on dialysis (as it would kill you too).

I've voted in every election, but I don't ever recall voting on whether or not I wanted to have City of Houston H20 piped to my house?

[TheNiche]

It's for a good cause.

From HCMUD #18's website:

The Galveston-Houston area draws its water supplies from underground limestone and clay formations. Unlike many other Texas limestone aquifers, such as those in the San Antonio and Austin area, our underground supplies cannot recharge quickly. When water is pumped out, all the earth above is slowly compressed.

When subsurface ground is lowered, a process known as subsidence, it changes the way that rainwater at the surface collects and flows. At the surface, where higher ground naturally sheds water to lower ground and then into natural water channels, the newly lowering ground now collects water and forms new paths that water takes in response to gravity.

Problems with Continued Underground Water Use

In a coastal area of relatively flat land running to the seashore, subsidence forms large areas that are more prone to flooding and holding water. This problem afflicts our area.

This natural phenomenon has been occurring over time since early settlers sank the first water wells. As all users sharing the same resources pump more water to the surface, areas within the aquifer begin to sink, some more rapidly and deeper than others.

On top of this natural process, more and more development for houses, industries and businesses encourages more paving for sidewalks, roads and parking lots. As this surface is covered and no longer available to absorb water to layers below, rainwater runoff increases in velocity and force toward natural channels. With a less absorbent surface, natural channels fill quickly overflow conditions - and flooding occurs.

Finally, the problem becomes circular, as supplying additional water for an increasing population grows with the number of people and industries that require water.

Mandatory Conversion Plan

Early pioneers to the Galveston-Houston area had abundant well opportunities and no natural reservoirs. They busied themselves draining coastal plains for agriculture.

Studies of water use and subsidence have been underway since the early 1940's. One potential solution to the growing problem is to create man-made, surface reservoirs. This solution has been extensively practiced in North Texas. In fact, there are only a few natural lakes in the entire state - most were created as surface water reservoirs.

By the 1960's subsidence in the Houston ship channel area could not be ignored. Later, it was discovered that neighborhoods in far northwest Harris County, far from the coastline, were also subsiding.

In 1999, the State of Texas and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District acted with legislation and rules that required a migration by 2010 from ground water well sources to surface water. This requirement drove the formation of the North Harris County Regional Water Authority. HCMUD18 is a member of this authority.

The plan recommended reservoirs, rivers and streams as new water sources. In our area the City of Houston has authority over Lake Houston, the San Jacinto River and Lake Livingston, the 3 current sources of surface water.

To help accomplish the changeover, new water authorities were formed to aggregate water utility districts to better work with the City of Houston toward achieving surface water goals.

[mrfootball]

I call bs.

Simply used as an excuse to make these areas more dependent upon Houston infrastructure and have the suburbs subsidize the city budgets.

The speed at which they accomplished this project is also suspect. Whenever the gov't moves fast on something, lookout! Watch your hind end.

City Water has been found to have all sorts of nasty chemicals, drugs and bi-products. I don't trust it. I won't drink it.

Still, you must have water and at some point you can bet that the city will be jacking the price up (even though we've got tons of it) using some new excuse to fleece us. Only the suburbanites will have little or no recourse.

Houston sucks.

[RedScare]

Family over in the Lakewood Forest area just got notice from their water district that the changeover from well water to the City of Houston's surface water will take place in the next two weeks. It came with a warning not to use the water for your Fish as it would kill them and not to drink it if you're on dialysis (as it would kill you too).

I've voted in every election, but I don't ever recall voting on whether or not I wanted to have City of Houston H20 piped to my house?

I'm surprised you haven't been paying attention. This issue was covered in great detail when area legislators voted for the legislation, when the North Harris County Regional Water Authority was formed, when they debated whether to negotiate with the City or spend an outrageous sum to fund their own surface water source, the price the City would charge for their water, and the debate over location and funding of the massive water main that connects the various utility district water systems.

Oh, and you should pay more attention to who you are voting for, since you apparently elected the board.

http://www.nhcrwa.com/

On June 18, 1999, the bill that created the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (HB 2965) was signed into law, and called a special election for January 15, 2000 so voters could confirm the creation of the new Authority and elect Directors to lead it.

[mrfootball]

Random unpublicized special elections are 'special' for a reason. Usually only those who stand to benefit the most know about them and turn up to vote.

[RedScare]

Random unpublicized special elections are 'special' for a reason. Usually those who stand to benefit the most know about them and turn up to vote.

Repeated front page articles and television news stories regarding an election does not a random and unpublicized election make. Don't blame Houston for your lack of awareness on issues that affect your life. Not only did you managed to miss the legislation passing, but also the election and the huge debate on how to switch to surface water, including the well-publicized debate on the rates Houston would charge. Frankly, one would have had to try to miss it.

[ricco67]

I call bs.

Simply used as an excuse to make these areas more dependent upon Houston infrastructure and have the suburbs subsidize the city budgets.

The speed at which they accomplished this project is also suspect. Whenever the gov't moves fast on something, lookout! Watch your hind end.

City Water has been found to have all sorts of nasty chemicals, drugs and bi-products. I don't trust it. I won't drink it.

Still, you must have water and at some point you can bet that the city will be jacking the price up (even though we've got tons of it) using some new excuse to fleece us. Only the suburbanites will have little or no recourse.

Houston sucks.

You can call it anything you want, but its the truth. You must be a relative newcomer to houston as this has been discussed over the past 25 years and the reason why we depend on surface water now.

Hate to tell you this, but Houston's water has met and exceeded the FDA's requirements for. quite some time.

[mrfootball]

1999 and 2000?

I was living in Afton Oaks, so yes, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority issue was probably not high on my agenda.

With that said, I'm sure the powers that be did a great job educating voters on the flipside of that deal.

Higher prices, lower quality, more dependence.

I guess that's what we should be working on next - getting out of it.

[ricco67]

1999 and 2000?

I was living in Afton Oaks, so yes, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority issue was probably not high on my agenda.

With that said, I'm sure the powers that be did a great job educating voters on the flipside of that deal.

Higher prices, lower quality, more dependence.

I guess that's what we should be working on next - getting out of it.

Oh. So you're FOR Houston to slowly sink below sealevel so you can save a few bucks?

[mrfootball]

Oh. So you're FOR Houston to slowly sink below sealevel so you can save a few bucks?

Yes, I'm anxiously awaiting the day I can walk out my door and be at the beach.

[RedScare]

1999 and 2000?

I was living in Afton Oaks, so yes, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority issue was probably not high on my agenda.

So, you did not research the area you were buying in before you bought there and you're blaming Houston for that? Do you often blame others for your failure to do your own research? Do you happen to work for BP? And Afton Oaks? Is that the same Afton Oaks that sits in the middle of the City of Houston and uses Houston water? You didn't figure out that they use Houston water either?

You know, this thread was pretty much over by the 2nd post, but highlighting the fact that your opinions seem to be based on your own ignorance of the facts, coupled with your willful refusal to educate yourself, and compounded by your insistence upon blaming others for it is just too good to pass up.

[TheNiche]

Yes, I'm anxiously awaiting the day I can walk out my door and be at the beach.

The beach is going to stay pretty much where it is.

As for you...continued subsidence along the pattern witnessed over the last century would cause watersheds to change shape and for drainage infrastructure to become gradually less effective, as well as for ponding to occur in inconvenient places. It's not so critical of an issue in west Harris County, where streams flow generally west-to-east, the same direction as the slope created by subsidence. But it is a very big deal in northwest and north Harris County where the slope created by subsidence is perpendicular to the general flow of streams.

The pumping out of groundwater also causes accelerated movement of fault lines (and there are some big ones in northwest Harris County), at a rate of up to one inch per year, causing damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.

Reliance on groundwater has other problems, as well. Localized plumes of pollutants that have seeped into the ground can get into well water. Surface water tends to be more consistent over time, and the scale of the intake allows for more active monitoring for serious threats to water quality.

[mrfootball]

The beach is going to stay pretty much where it is.

As for you...continued subsidence along the pattern witnessed over the last century would cause watersheds to change shape and for drainage infrastructure to become gradually less effective, as well as for ponding to occur in inconvenient places. It's not so critical of an issue in west Harris County, where streams flow generally west-to-east, the same direction as the slope created by subsidence. But it is a very big deal in northwest and north Harris County where the slope created by subsidence is perpendicular to the general flow of streams.

The pumping out of groundwater also causes accelerated movement of fault lines (and there are some big ones in northwest Harris County), at a rate of up to one inch per year, causing damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.

Reliance on groundwater has other problems, as well. Localized plumes of pollutants that have seeped into the ground can get into well water. Surface water tends to be more consistent over time, and the scale of the intake allows for more active monitoring for serious threats to water quality.

Now Niche, why'd you have to go and throw Reason into the discussion, I was enjoying Red's hysterical rant about how its all my fault and how I'm a bad, evil suburbanite.

Speaking of faults, is there a map that shows where the major fault lines are in NW Harris? I recall passing on a home in Wilchester back in '04 because it sat directly on the "Rummel Creek" fault line?

[RedScare]

Now Niche, why'd you have to go and throw Reason into the discussion, I was enjoying Red's hysterical rant about how its all my fault and how I'm a bad, evil suburbanite.

You are mischaracterizing my posts. I was chuckling that YOUR rant was based on your own ignorance of what is going on around you.

[TheNiche]

Now Niche, why'd you have to go and throw Reason into the discussion, I was enjoying Red's hysterical rant about how its all my fault and how I'm a bad, evil suburbanite.

Straw man defense. Weak.

Red's criticisms are valid. It's not his fault that you're reacting to them with histrionics.

Speaking of faults, is there a map that shows where the major fault lines are in NW Harris? I recall passing on a home in Wilchester back in '04 because it sat directly on the "Rummel Creek" fault line?

This is the best fault map that I can find using Google, but I've seen better ones that show additional faults. I've also seen better examples of the damage that has been done to driveways, foundations, and infrastructure.

Numerically speaking, most fault lines are near salt domes, however those exhibit less movement. The more damaging ones run continuously southwest to northeast and reflect that the coastal prairie is slowly sliding into the Gulf of Mexico.

[jautor]

Family over in the Lakewood Forest area just got notice from their water district that the changeover from well water to the City of Houston's surface water will take place in the next two weeks. It came with a warning not to use the water for your Fish as it would kill them and not to drink it if you're on dialysis (as it would kill you too).

FYI - the toxicity to fish (and the effects on dialysis machines) are due to the change from a chlorine to a chloramine water treatment. For ponds and aquariums, both chlorine and chloramines are toxic to fish (burns the gills, probably more). Drinking it is fine, breathing it - not so much...

The difference is that chlorine will break down in a day, while the chloramine sticks around. That's good for municipal water treatment (it's doing its job of disinfecting the water longer). Anyone filling their pond/aquarium should already be using a declorinator chemical when adding tap water. The difference now is that you'll be harming your fish much faster than before if you don't...

The Wikipedia article talks about the dialysis machine issue, and a few other things:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloramine

Jeff

[TechnoG]

After we're connected, I just hope that we don't have to pay the huge monthly water bills that Kingwood had to

Kingwood had to pay after they were annexed by Houston. I have a friend over there and he

told me that his monthly summer water bills went from around $50 to over $300. Not sure what

rates have been negotiated for us in the Longwood subdivision area, but this could end up being

a real eye opener!

[RedScare]

After we're connected, I just hope that we don't have to pay the huge monthly water bills that Kingwood had to

Kingwood had to pay after they were annexed by Houston. I have a friend over there and he

told me that his monthly summer water bills went from around $50 to over $300. Not sure what

rates have been negotiated for us in the Longwood subdivision area, but this could end up being

a real eye opener!

Under the 2009 City of Houston Water and Sewer rates, a resident would need to use 35,000 gallons of water in a single month to receive a $300 water bill. That's as much water as I've used in the last year. I don't doubt that some people could waste that much water, but frankly, if they do, they SHOULD pay $300 for it.

For comparison, the average consumer uses about 70 gallons per day, or 2,100 gallons per month.

[AtticaFlinch]

Under the 2009 City of Houston Water and Sewer rates, a resident would need to use 35,000 gallons of water in a single month to receive a $300 water bill. That's as much water as I've used in the last year. I don't doubt that some people could waste that much water, but frankly, if they do, they SHOULD pay $300 for it.

For comparison, the average consumer uses about 70 gallons per day, or 2,100 gallons per month.

I lived in Humble (Atascocita, really) when Kingwood was annexed, and I knew many people from Kingwood, adults and teens like I was then. There was a consistent theme that came from all those who opposed the annexation, and that theme was exaggerated complaint. According to those opposed to the annexation, water rates and electric rates rose to unmanageable levels and the police disappeared overnight leaving Somalia... err, I mean Kingwood.... in the hands of a lawless mob and the San Jacinto River ran with blood. In reality, not much changed aside from their sales tax and their volunteer fire department was replaced by professionals.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Under the 2009 City of Houston Water and Sewer rates, a resident would need to use 35,000 gallons of water in a single month to receive a $300 water bill. That's as much water as I've used in the last year. I don't doubt that some people could waste that much water, but frankly, if they do, they SHOULD pay $300 for it.

For comparison, the average consumer uses about 70 gallons per day, or 2,100 gallons per month.

Amen Red.

I live in the City, and most of my coworkers who live in MUDs are shocked to hear that I only pay $15-$20 per month for water.

I think I've only once paid $50 for water, and it's because I watered the yard like hell AND had several extra people staying with us for a month.