By: Tom Behrens
At the December meeting of the Katy City Council, after much discussion, announced single family residential, multi-family residential, and commercial structure units will see a $0.16 increase on their water bills. Rate will increase from $2.19 per 1,000 gallons water used to $2.35 per one thousand gallons of water used. The new rate will become effective January 15, 2023.
West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WHCRWA) …
Understanding water rates:
West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WHCRWA) was created by the 77th Texas Legislature to facilitate the shift from pumping underground well water to surface water. The WHCRWA is not a Municipal Utility District. The Authority is a wholesale water provider and does not provide retail customer services.
In September of 2022, WHCRWA sent a notice to the utility districts of west Houston and Katy, non-district/non-city well owners within the WHCRWA, the price was going up. Price increases will fund water supply projects necessary to meet the Harris Galveston Subsidence District’s groundwater reduction regulations.
Subsidence can cause infrastructural damage to homes and roads as well as making areas which experience extensive sinking more susceptible to flooding. University of Houston studies report that Katy has experienced higher-than-average rates of subsidence between 2016-2020.
Regulations state groundwater is to be no more than 40 percent of water demand by 2025, and no more than 20 percent of water demand by 2035.
Water rate increases vary from city to city and Municipal Utility Districts (MUD) in the West area.
Reducing dependence on groundwater:
The goal is reduced dependence on groundwater. WHCRWA and the North Fort Bend Water Authority (NFBWA) are jointly working on the Surface Water Supply Project, which will see the construction of a pipeline from Lake Houston to the western portions of the Houston region, including Katy. Construction is estimated at the earliest by 2025 and will cost $1 billion.
The City of Katy has one of the lowest water billing rates compared to other municipalities and MUDs in the area. The city subsidizes its water utilities rates, so customers do not incur the full cost of increases. WHCRWA increased its rate for the city from $3.70 per 1,000 gallons of groundwater pumped to $3.95 per gallons of groundwater pumped, a $0.25 increase.
