Residents of Ricewood MUD will soon be receiving their February water bills and may notice that the fee for the West Harris County Regional Water Authority (WHCRWA) has been increased for 2022. The Board of Directors of Ricewood MUD would like to make sure our residents understand the reasons for this fee increase.
As referenced from www.whcrwa.com: βThe WHCRWA uses the fees collected to fund its capital, operations/maintenance and debt service budgets. The vast majority of budgetary allocations go toward buying surface water, planning and building the system needed to deliver surface water from City of Houston-owned reservoirs to the MUDs in the West Authority boundaries.β
Ricewood MUD purchases the water we provide to our residents from WHCRWA. Ricewood MUD then receives the purchased water, processes, tests and treats it, and finally sends it out through our internal distribution system to all our residents.
WHCRWA charges Ricewood MUD for such water on a per 1,000-gallon basis. As of January 1, 2022, WHCRWA has increased its rate from $3.85 to $4.10 per 1,000 gallons. Ricewood MUD passes this charge through to residents in their water bills at a rate of $4.51 per 1,000 gallons which includes a 10% markup that helps to account for the cost of processing, testing and treatment of the surface water, and other administrative costs.
A large amount of money is needed to accomplish these goals. The WHCRWA has to charge sufficient rates to make debt service payments on loans secured to build the projects and to cover operating costs for the infrastructure we already have in the ground.β
For more detailed information on the WHCRWA, its purpose, water rates, or other related matters, please visit www.whcrwa.com.
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