NE Harris Co. neighborhood says they deal with endless water outages and boil notices

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Oak Manor is a northeast Harris County subdivision of around two dozen homes. Residents tell ABC13 they moved to the neighborhood for relaxed, easy living.

"It's quiet. You have half-acre lots," Rhydonna Anthony, a resident of more than 20 years, said.

But the homeowners say their neighborhood has developed a serious sore spot-- the water.

"You come home and want to take a shower, but no water," said David Damson, a resident of over 30 years.

Residents who have lived at Oak Manor for years said Aqua Texas, the current manager of their water well, let the services go downhill. Eyewitness News was told the well constantly loses power, and there are endless water outages and boil water notices. Plus, as more large homes are built, residents believe the supply can't seem to keep up with demand.

"Water pressure is a big concern for everyone. If you have a sprinkler system or you're taking a shower, neighbors on the other street can tell cause their water pressure is lower," Anthony said.

One resident showed ABC13 her stack of documents going back years. It shows more than half a dozen Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) complaints that have led to investigations, and at least two of those investigations turned up violations in 2024, including failure to maintain the well and piping.

"The problem is we are a small community. They have larger subdivisions and areas, so I don't think they give us any attention because we are one of their smaller clientele," Anthony said.

Aqua Texas currently manages the well and water utilities in eight other states.

In a statement Aqua Texas said, "Aqua Texas has made significant improvements to service and reliability for our customers in the Oak Manor water system in the past year, including installation of a generator, drilling a new well, replacing pressure tanks, installing all new electrical components at the water plant, and partnering with the City of Houston on an interconnect. However, some recent service disruptions have been out of our control, often due to construction crews hitting our water mains. We have met with and will continue to collaborate with community members in Oak Manor to continue improving their service."

Aqua Texas is waiting on TCEQ approval before it can hook up the second well. They hope that approval will come within the next 30 days.

Councilman Fred Flickinger, who represents the area, told ABC13 on the phone that the state authorizes Aqua Texas to control the well, so the city doesn't have the authority to make changes. However, he would like to see more investment in the infrastructure so the neighborhood has reliable water services.

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