Water project in Montgomery Co. may mean higher rates

MONTGOMERY COUNTY (KTRK) -- It's not a crisis, but the water supply in fast-growing Montgomery County is dwindling fast.

That's why rates are about to go up again, and those in charge of the supply are working quickly to build additional capacity.

The San Jacinto River Authority is well into phase one of its groundwater conservation plan -- in which the agency is building the infrastructure to pull water from Lake Conroe and distribute it to the county's 500,000 residents.

That will supplement the groundwater, which at current usage can't replenish itself fast enough to meet demand.

The construction on the water transfer station, purification system, storage tanks, and 50 miles of pipes is under budget and ahead of schedule. Completion is expected by mid-2015.

It comes with a cost, however, and beginning September 1, water customers will notice an additional half-dollar fee (per thousand gallons used) in their monthly bills.

And, by using Lake Conroe for its intended purpose, the authority will draw one inch a month from the lake, lowering it by a foot a year. The authority believes that rainfall will make up the difference, and

homeowners on the lake shouldn't notice much of a difference, if at all.

Conservation is still their push. Half of the new water supply will go to The Woodlands, where rates will go up in September and again, through different fees, in October. The more water residents use -- the more -- they'll notice the increase.

We'll have more on the project, the taxes, and the need for conservation on Eyewitness News at 6:30pm.

You can also learn more about the project at SJRA.net.