MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT 238
About
About Us
Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 238 (the "District") is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, with 599.1842 acres of single-family subdivisions, including Lake Ridge, Barkers Ridge Village, Oak Ridge Village, Barkers Ridge Place, Barkers Ridge Estates, Oak Ridge Place, Barkers Ridge Park, and Barkers Crossing. The District is located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston, and is subject to the continuing supervisory jurisdiction of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ("TCEQ").
The District is empowered to purchase, construct, finance, operate, and maintain facilities and plants necessary for the supply and distribution of water; the collection, transportation, and treatment of wastewater and associated by-products; and the control and diversion of storm water in specific jurisdictions in a cost-effective and financially transparent manner. We will also work with other governmental agencies (National, State, County, City, etc.) on projects that benefit the residents.
History
The 599.1842-acre District is a municipal utility district ("MUD") created by an order of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, now the TCEQ, effective December 2, 1982, under Article XVI, Section 59 of the Texas Constitution. The District operates in accordance with Chapters 49 and 54 of the Texas Water Code, as amended, and other statutes of Texas applicable to MUDs.
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Prior to 2010, the District obtained all its water from groundwater pursuant to an annual permit issued by the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District ("HGCSD"). The District also has emergency water interconnects with Addicks Municipal Utility District and Mayde Creek Utility District, serving as emergency sources of water for the District. The HGCSD adopted a regulatory plan which requires certain districts within the jurisdiction of the HGCSD, including the District, to adopt a Groundwater Reduction Plan (“GRP”), join a regulatory GRP, or pay disincentive fees for groundwater pumpage. The District is included in a regional GRP prepared and implemented by the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (“WHCRWA”).
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As part of the WHCRWA’s GRP, the District was required to undergo a phased conversion from groundwater usage to surface water usage. The District began obtaining surface water in June 2010 in compliance with such requirements through the WHCRWA who has secured a source of surface water from the City of Houston. Questions often arise about the increasing water rates in the District, however, the District has not increased the rate it charges for water since 2004. Rather, any increases in rates in recent years have been due exclusively to increases in the fees charged by the WCHRWA.
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For more information, visit www.whcrwa.com.
District Map
