Author: HCMUD 501

Please be advised that the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (Authority) has triggered Stage 1 (voluntary reductions) of its Drought Contingency Plan due to climate and weather conditions. The Authority has determined it is necessary to trigger Stage 1 in order to facilitate compliance with the Harris Galveston Subsidence District requirements.

Under this Stage 1, the Authority is requesting all water users to voluntarily reduce their water usage effective immediately. The Authority would also like to encourage you to consider implementing one or more drought response measures in your entity’s Drought Contingency Plan, if applicable. The Authority will continue to monitor water use and will provide another notice if the drought stage changes or if Stage 1 drought conditions have been lifted.

Thank you for your cooperation. A copy of the Authority’s Drought Contingency Plan is included on the Authority’s website: www.whcrwa.com.

As shown in the below notice, Harris County MUD 500, as Master District (MUD 500), which provides potable water to MUDs 500 (in its internal capacity), 501, 502, and 503 in Towne Lake, has experienced high water usage due to the ongoing drought conditions. This has resulted in the triggering of stage 1 of MUD 500’s drought contingency plan. In stage 1, MUD 500 has requested voluntary potable water conservation, including a reduction in outdoor watering. Over the past two weeks since then, the enduring hot and dry conditions have resulted in continued and increasingly higher water usage within Towne Lake.

MUD 500 needs your help to voluntarily reduce your water usage! We are quickly approaching stage 2 of MUD 500’s drought contingency plan. In stage 2, mandatory water usage restrictions would be implemented. These include prohibiting the use of irrigation systems and requiring that all outdoor watering be done via a handheld hose. At stage 2, MUD 500 also would request that all residents stop filling their swimming pools. Depending upon the severity of the drought conditions, MUD 500 also may be required to consider additional measures to reduce potable water consumption.

In order to avoid the triggering of stage 2 and any additional measures to reduce consumption, MUD 500 requests that all residents immediately take action to voluntarily reduce their water usage. Please consider taking action to reduce your water usage today, including by limiting the number of days a week you are watering your yard and landscaping, and reducing the watering time per zone on your irrigation system.

Last summer when we experienced similar drought conditions, our Towne Lake residents answered the call and voluntarily reduced your usage significantly. As a result, we never needed to implement stage 2 and its mandatory restrictions. The MUD 500 Board requests that you please answer the call again. We may not be able to control the weather, but we can work together to help ensure we have a sufficient potable water supply for the continued needs of our community. We appreciate your assistance with this urgent matter.

Drought Alert Notice (PDF)

Dear Customer:

Due to ongoing drought conditions, Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 501 (MUD 501) has initiated Stage 1 (voluntary) water conservation measures for potable (drinking) water and is requesting that all potable water users reduce their usage immediately. Harris County MUD No. 500, which provides potable water to MUD 501, also has initiated its Stage 1 (voluntary) water conservation measures and is requesting that all water users voluntarily reduce their potable water usage. Potable water usage is increasing rapidly and under MUD 501’s Drought Contingency Plan, we may be required to implement mandatory water use restrictions if conditions continue to worsen. Last summer, when we requested voluntary conservation, you answered the call and were able to ensure a continued sufficient water supply for the Towne Lake community. Now that drought conditions have returned, we need your help again to reduce potable water usage and avoid the need for mandatory restrictions!

Stage 1 (Voluntary) water use restrictions now in place:

Customers are requested to voluntarily limit all outdoor potable water usage, including, but not limited to, lawn and garden watering, car washing, and window washing, as follows:

1. District residents and other users of water within the District with even-numbered addresses should use potable water outdoors only on even-numbered days, and District residents and other users of water within the District with odd-numbered addresses should use potable water outdoors only on odd-numbered days. In the event no street address exists, District residents and other users of water within the District lining on the north and west side of the street should use potable water outdoors only on even-numbered days, and District residents and other users of water within the District on the south and east side of the street should use potable water outdoors only on odd-numbered days. District residents and other users of water within the District with irrigation controllers that do not have an even-odd option should use potable water outdoors no more than every other day.
2. Potable water should not be used outdoors for irrigation or other uses in the morning between the hours of 6:00 am and 10:00 am, and in the evening between the hours of 6:00 pm and 12:00 am (midnight).

Please check the settings on the controller for your irrigation system to make adjustments to the dates and times the system runs to implement these requested changes. Please note that the Towne Lake Community Association uses non-potable water from the lakes for irrigation of certain common areas throughout the Towne Lake community, which helps to reduce demand on the potable water system and preserve the availability of potable water for other uses.

MUD 501 will continue to monitor potable water use and will provide another notice if the drought stage changes or if Stage 1 drought conditions have been lifted. The MUD 501 Board of Directors appreciates your cooperation and perseverance during this challenging time.

As you have been out shopping at the grocery store or other retailers, you may have noticed an increase in the types of pre-moistened disposable wipes, rags, and other products that are labeled as “flushable.” Although the wipes and rags may initially disappear when you flush your toilet, they can cause significant—and expensive—plumbing problems for you and for our the sanitary sewer lines, lift stations, and wastewater treatment plant that serve the MUD 501 community because they don’t break down when exposed to water.

These wipes can combine with fat and other debris to form a clog in sanitary sewer lines, which could lead to a backup of sewage into your home or business. At lift stations and the wastewater treatment plant, the wipes and rags can clog up or break pumps, screens, and other equipment, resulting in costly repairs and difficulty in maintaining normal system operations. The cost of these repairs may add up to tens of thousands of dollars or more per year.

Please help us keep the sanitary sewer system flowing by disposing of wipes and rags in the trash can, and not down the toilet!