Author: HCMUD 359

City of Houston Enters Stage Two of the Drought Contingency Plan

The City of Houston will enter Stage Two of the City’s Drought Contingency Plan, effective August 27, 2023. The Drought Contingency Plan calls for Stage Two mandatory water conservation measures when the significant drop in annual rainfall and higher-than-normal daily temperatures lead to continued stress on the water system. Houston Public Works has recommended the implementation of a Stage Two designation of the Drought Contingency Plan for the entire City, including systems that are supplied by groundwater only.

During Stage Two, outdoor water use will be restricted except for the following time periods:

  • Between the hours of 7PM and 5AM with the following schedule:
    • 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
    • Tuesdays and Fridays for all other customers

Any water customer who violates these watering times will be issued a written warning for a first-time violation. Any subsequent violations are subject to a fine up to $2,000 for each occurrence of the offense (Section 54.001 of the Texas Local Government Code).

“Houston Public Works asks the public to please do your part in helping us reduce citywide water use,” said Houston Public Works Director, Carol Haddock. “Our goal is to reduce water usage from all customers by 10%. Our crews are working diligently in conjunction with area contractors to repair water leaks across the city.”

Water customers are also reminded to continue everyday efforts to prevent the loss of water:

  • Check and repair water leaks, including dripping faucets and running toilets
  • Check sprinkler heads to make sure water is not spraying into the street or directly into a storm drain and/or gutters. Typically, more than 5 minutes of sprinkler use creates runoff into the street.
  • Run dishwashers and washing machines only when full
  • Take shorter showers
  • Additional water conservation tips

Find more details about the drought contingency plan here: City of Houston’s Drought Contingency Plan

Project to Stabilize Detention Basin Side-Slope

To Whom it May Concern:

Regarding Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 359’s (the “District”) upcoming project to stabilize the District’s stormwater detention basin (“Shadowlake”) side-slopes:

  1. Shadowlake is owned by the District and has properly sold bonds in connection with its project to stabilize Shadowlake’s side-slopes. This project does not conflict with any existing agreements entered into by the District.
  2. The District has an existing agreement with the City of Houston (City) whereby the City charges District customers for water and sewer services and rebates a portion of those monthly collections to the District. The District has covenanted in its bond orders to deposit those monthly collections in the District’s debt service fund to pay the debt service requirements on those outstanding bonds (however, those rebates are not pledged as security for payment of debt service on the District’s bonds). The District is using its monthly rebate collections to pay its debt service obligations. The District communicates regularly with the City about this agreement.

Please direct any questions you may have about this project to the District. Thank you.

Sincerely,
/s/ Andrew B. Vaughan
Andrew B. Vaughan
Attorney for the District