What is the “NHCRWA” charge on my water bill?

Each Customer’s billing statement includes a line item reflected “NHCRWA”, which is calculated based upon the Customer’s actual water usage for the previous month multiplied by the current surface water fee assessed by the North Harris County Regional Water Authority.  As of March 20, 2023, the “surface water” rate is currently $4.55 per 1,000 gallons of water used.

Who is the North Harris County Regional Water Authority?

The Authority was created to provide a way for Districts in north Harris County to comply with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District groundwater use reduction mandate.  They contracted with the City of Houston to receive drinking water from their Northeast Water Treatment Plant.

What is the “Residential Services” charge on my water bill?

Each Customer’s billing statement will reflect the Huntwick Civic Association (“HCA”) Garbage and Security Fee or “Residential Services” fee, which will be determined by the HCA and calculated based upon the actual garbage and security costs to the HCA. The amount is the same every month and is set annually by the HCA.

Does the District supply trash pick up service?

No, the District does not supply trash service.  The residential trash pick up is arranged by the Huntwick Civic Association.  Customers in Huntwick Forest can visit www.huntwick.org for more information.

What Causes Water Main to Leak or Break?

Water main breaks can occur due to ground movement, surges in water pressure, tree root invasion, and in some colder climates, changes in the water temperature. In our area they generally occur when there is movement in the ground. As the soil shrinks or swells it puts a lot of tension and strain on water pipes. The tension can pull the joints loose and the strain can even crack the pipe as the soil tries to bend it.

Harris County, including our District, has several areas with clay soils that shrink and swell more than other soils due to changing moisture conditions. Like a sponge absorbing water, changes in rainfall cause changes in the swelling of the soils. Therefore, movement of clay soils can be a problem all year due to the high degree of shrinking and swelling. In some areas this has even caused problems with sidewalks, roadways and building foundations. With these soils, it is common for our area to get breaks in the dry months as the soils shrink and then again during rainy times as the soils swell. The soils experienced a large amount of shrinkage and increased the potential for water main breaks.

The District’s water system consists of approximately 68,970 linear feet of water lines, or 13.1 miles, which vary in size from two-inches to twelve-inches in diameter. The majority of the water distribution system was installed in the 1970s. The earlier sections of the District were constructed using ductile iron pipe and asbestos cement. Ductile iron pipe is subject to corrosion over time and can become brittle and weak. As the ductile iron pipe ages and corrodes, the materials and joints cannot as easily accept the movement of the soils and thus leaks and breaks are more common.

With the age of these lines reaching close to 50 years, the system has seen increased water leaks and more leaks and breaks may be expected. The District is planning for the future rehabilitation and replacement of the underground water system to prevent leaks and ensure proper accountability.