Many residents within Westlake Municipal Utility District No. 1 (Westlake MUD 1) have asked, “what is this WHCRWA fee on my bill?!” The Board of Directors for Westlake MUD 1 wanted to provide some guidance on where to find the information regarding the WHCRWA fee, as well as the organization levying it on your monthly bills.
The West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WHCRWA) is a governmental entity created by the Texas Legislature that assists in converting the region within its boundaries from using groundwater to predominately surface water in order to combat subsidence.
The WHCRWA assesses a fee for both groundwater and surface water usage by residents. This fee is used by the WHCRWA to fund projects intended to reduce regional subsidence and to meet legislatively-mandated surface water conversion goals. You can find more information on the WHCRWA and their programs at their website, www.whcrwa.com.
The WHCRWA fee that you see on your bill is not a fee levied by the MUD; it is a mandatory fee levied by the WHCRWA; to make sure the amount covers all groundwater fees assessed to the District and any administrative costs, there is a 10% upcharge on the total WHCRWA fees assessed each month for residents, as this fee is based solely on how much water you use in your home. From the WHCRWA site:
“The WHCRWA charges fees for surface water delivered by the WHCRWA and for groundwater pumped by various water well owners within its GRP. To date, WHCRWA has held numerous successful Bond Sales that have funded many Capital Improvement Projects and paid the City of Houston for water supplies required by the long-term contract.
The WHCRWA has an aggressive Capital Improvement Plan in place to meet the timelines that have been established for the design and construction of the WHCRWA’s facilities.
As of May 2023, the WHCRWA has:
In addition to its aggressive water line construction efforts, the WHCRWA has been active in promoting water conservation education programs for use in public schools within their boundaries and for area residents. Each year, the WHCRWA produces a newsletter in order to provide current information about critical water issues. The WHCRWA also maintains this website that contains pertinent information about the WHCRWA, its construction projects, and ways to use our precious water supplies more efficiently.”
You can see the current WHCRWA fees here.