Water Renewal The Woodlands (Renewal Plan) is a long-term modernization and rehabilitation initiative to address aging water and wastewater systems. A key part of this initiative is providing you, our customers, with information, transparency, and opportunities for engagement.
The initiative will ultimately outline a broad project plan for reinvestment and modernization of water and wastewater infrastructure. The plan will be inclusive of water and wastewater infrastructure projects identified by the SJRA Woodlands Division 10-year project plan as well as water infrastructure projects identified separately by Woodlands Water.
The purpose of the Renewal Plan is:
- To provide the public with transparency and opportunities to engage, stay informed, and give feedback as the Renewal Plan progresses.
- To identify potential projects and associated funding requirements and sources to appropriately maintain and manage the Woodlands Water’s and SJRA’s Woodlands Division’s extensive wholesale water supply and wastewater conveyance, and treatment assets.
- To continue to provide efficient and reliable services which is compliant to all state and federal regulations for the Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) in The Woodlands, Texas.
The vitality of our community hinges on the reliability of our infrastructure. Through the collaborative efforts of the SJRA, Woodlands Water, and our Municipal Utility Districts, we are positioned to ensure The Woodlands not only retains its status as a premier residential destination but also serves as an exemplar of strategic investment, resilience, and sustainability for the 50-year planning horizon and beyond.
While there are many benefits to communities maintaining and investing in their infrastructure, such as reducing service interruptions and water main breaks, some of the key benefits of the projects included in this Renewal Plan include:
- Continuing to provide efficient and reliable service that is compliant with state and federal regulations.
- Addition of critical infrastructure to address growth of the area, including undeveloped areas within The Woodlands.
- Modernization and rehabilitation of aging infrastructure that is approaching or has reached its useful life and is no longer sufficient for The Woodlands community’s needs.
- Increased optimization and sustainability of the overall water system in The Woodlands.
Timing is also particularly important to the Renewal Plan. Delaying infrastructure projects included in the Renewal Plan could result in increased service interruptions and failures of the systems that deliver water and wastewater services to our residents, visitors, and business community.
Additionally, based upon engineering analysis, any postponement of critical projects will likely require more extensive rehabilitation and increased project costs.
The infographic below illustrates the asset management lifecycle. It highlights how delays in modernizing and rehabilitating our water and wastewater assets, which are nearing or have surpassed their service life, can lead to functional failures categorized as “Reactive Maintenance,” impacting service for both residential and business customers.
Projects to be included in Water Renewal The Woodlands are currently being determined and prioritized based on available and a variety of data and information, such as:
- Condition assessments and expected service life,
- Likelihood and consequence of failure,
- Repair and rehabilitation history,
- Staff inspections,
- Study results, and
- Impacts of upcoming regulatory changes.
Woodlands Water is the central management agency for the ten Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) that currently serve The Woodlands in Montgomery County. The services they provide are water distribution, wastewater collection, storm drainage, monthly invoicing, and tax assessment and collection services.
Woodlands Water is governed by a 10-Member Board of Trustees selected by their respective boards to represent their MUD. Woodlands Water trustee selection is considered every two years following the MUD elections in May.
For more information about the Woodlands Water, visit their website at https://woodlandswater.org/about.
A MUD is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, like a county or school district, created by the Texas Legislature or Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. A MUD is created by the State over a limited area to provide water, sewer, drainage, park and recreational facilities, and roads. MUDs in The Woodlands focus solely on water, wastewater, and drainage. The water and wastewater system in The Woodlands is an integrated system and all MUDs pay a proportionate share of the integrated system.
Elections for MUD’s that are managed by Woodlands Water are held in May of even-numbered years. Directors are elected for 4-years terms. Should a Director step down mid-term, the Board designates a new Director in their place to serve the remainder of the term. MUD Directors must either own land in their district or be a current resident of the district. In The Woodlands, there are 50 total MUD directors total across 10 Districts. For more information about MUDs, visit https://woodlandswater.org/about-muds.
Created by the Texas Legislature in 1937 (Article 8280-121, as amended), the SJRA is a government agency whose mission is to develop, conserve, and protect the water resources of the San Jacinto River basin. Covering all or part of seven counties, the organization’s jurisdiction includes the entire San Jacinto River watershed, excluding Harris County. The SJRA is one of ten major river authorities in the State of Texas, and like other river authorities, its primary purpose is to implement long-term, regional projects related to water supply and wastewater treatment.
The SJRA boundaries include the entire watershed of the San Jacinto River and its tributaries excluding Harris County. This includes all of Montgomery County and parts of Walker, Waller, San Jacinto, Grimes, Fort Bend, and Liberty Counties. SJRA serves many customers in the Houston area and is authorized to operate in East Harris County through an agreement with the City of Houston, which allows the SJRA to operate east of the San Jacinto River.
The SJRA’s general offices are located at Lake Conroe. SJRA has five separate operating divisions, including The Woodlands Division.
To find your MUD, please visit the map on the following page: https://woodlandswater.org/about-muds.
To continue to provide efficient and reliable service that is compliant with state and federal regulations, Woodlands Water, the MUDs, and the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), our wholesale water and wastewater services provider, are collaborating to determine and prioritize the projects to be included in the Renewal Plan.
Woodlands Water customers are invited to take the Water Renewal The Woodlands survey now until October 6, 2024, at www.waterrenewalthewoodlands.com/survey. This survey has been created to gather community input on the priorities for the future of water and wastewater services and programs.
Numerous public engagement and informational opportunities will be available as the plan progresses for all stakeholders to provide input, both in-person and virtually. These opportunities will be shared on this website and through our email listserv below.
Sign-up to receive periodic newsletters, project updates, and other information about the project.
Maps of water and wastewater system projects will be posted once finalized.
For questions or comments about the project, please complete the form below or email [email protected]
When construction starts, residents, business owners, and anyone traveling in the vicinity of the project area may experience detours, access issues, and other construction activities associated with large-scale infrastructure projects. The public’s safety, ease of access, and well-marked detour information will be the priority throughout the life of the projects. Woodlands Water, SJRA and MUDs are committed to communicating proactively and continuously with the public about this project.
As necessary, contractors will be required to repair damaged roadways that are impacted by construction. Access to churches, schools, businesses, and other properties will be maintained throughout construction. Project Managers will coordinate with these entities and local emergency services in advance to determine and communicate necessary road closures, identify appropriate detours, and phase construction so that disruption is minimized.
Although construction of the projects will occur over many years, no specific area is expected to be impacted for the entire period. Construction activities for each project will vary, with the impacts to any one area lasting no more than approximately six to nine months.
No, the Renewal Plan will not impact the quality of drinking water.
To ensure our drinking water continually meets or exceeds all federal and state standards, Woodlands Water and SJRA administer over 300 tests per month. In addition, SJRA treatment facilities continuously monitor chlorine disinfection, pH, and temperature to ensure that our water is safe to drink. All Municipal Utility Districts (MUD’s) served by Woodlands Water are rated as “superior water systems” by the state. These practices will not change because of the Renewal Plan and we expect to retain our “superior water systems” rating.
Potential projects and their associated funding requirements are still being determined and prioritized. The MUDs are currently engaged in several studies to further investigate the most efficient path forward for addressing our aging infrastructure. Once those studies are completed, the MUD Directors will further evaluate funding options. We will share updates, including on the Water Renewal website and through email.
We encourage you to follow Woodlands Water official social media accounts listed at waterrenewalthewoodlands.com/get-involved and sign up for our e-newsletter at waterrenewalthewoodlands.com/get-involved/sign-up, if you have not already, to ensure you receive the latest information.
