Historical Groundwater Reduction Program Fees Fort Bend County Jurisdictions

The table below shows the historical data for the GRP fees charged by various jurisdictions in Fort Bend County. Each district sets the rates every year. The City of Richmond has been adjusting the rate every two years. WCID #3 joined the City of Richmond Groundwater Reduction Program in 2015. Joining an existing program allows WCID #3 to provide water services to the community without being financially penalized for not participating in a program.


* Year Texana Plantation (WCID #3) Joined City of Richmond’s Groundwater Reduction Program and charged GRP Fees

** Authority responsible for GRP fees for Waterside and Long Meadow Farms along with numerous communities north of Texana Plantation

Groundwater Reduction Program (GRP) Fees Explained

We have had several residents inquire about the City of Richmond’s GRP line item on their water bill. Since it has been several years since the information notice was sent to everyone in the district, we would like to remind everyone of Groundwater Reduction Program (GRP) and why it’s a line item on your water bill.

The Fort Bend Subsidence District was created by the Texas Legislature in 1989 as a conservation and reclamation district (Act of May 26, 1989, 71st Leg., R.S., ch. 1045, 1989 Tex. Gen. Laws 4251). The District’s purpose is to provide for the regulation of the withdrawal of groundwater within the District to prevent subsidence that contributes to flooding, inundation or overflow of areas within the District, including rising waters resulting from storms or hurricanes, The District’s boundaries are defined as all the territory within Fort Bend County. Requirements of the Fort Bend County Subsidence District to convert thirty-percent (30%) of groundwater usage to an alternate source by 2016, and sixty-percent (60%) to an alternate source by 2025. Because Texana Plantation does not have the ability to build a Surface Water Conversion plant, (the community relies totally on groundwater pumped from two wells) the WCID #3 had to join a Ground Water Reduction Plan (GRP) to adhere to the mandates put forth by The Fort Bend Subsidence District. After much research and price comparisons, WCID #3 voted to join the City of Richmond’s Ground Water Reduction Plan. By joining this group, it allows Texana Plantation to be part of a group that is following the guidelines of reducing groundwater pumpage, while still utilizing our wells for our water supply, to not comply with the Subsidence District, WCID #3 would have incurred steep disincentive fees. Under the terms of the Agreement, the City will instead assess the annual pro-rata share of costs to the participants in the form of a per gallon pumpage fee. The fee is currently $ 2.69 per each 1,000 gallons pumped by the District. The District strives to keep its water rates as low as possible. You will now see a separate line item on your monthly water bill for the “City of Richmond GRP Fee,” and will be assessed the $2.69 per 1,000 gallons pumpage fee. This includes a ten percent increase in the fee to account for lost water and other related expenses. If the District’s annual cost increases or decreases for 2022-2023, such increase or decrease will be reflected in the monthly fee. If you have any questions regarding the information in this Notice, please feel free to contact the District’s Operator, Municipal Operations & Consulting, Inc., at 281-367-5511. You are also always welcome to attend any meeting of the Board of Directors of the District, normally held on the third Friday of each month at Ramble Creek – 7930 W. Grand Parkway, Suite 100, Richmond, Texas, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Consult the district’s website Fort Bend County Water Control and Improvement District No. 3 (fbcwcid3.com) to see if the meeting dates, times or locations have changed. Also, please feel free to contact any of the board members – Ann Heil, Craig Johnson, Kreig Smith, Gloria Couch and Andrew Wilde.

Chloramine Conversion – January 23, 2023

Due to a clerical error, a previous letter sent to your residence of Fort Bend County WCID 3 stated the conversion would begin earlier. Please disregard that letter.

On January 23, 2023, the Fort Bend County WCID 3 (TX0790368) will be changing the disinfectant that we use from chlorine to chloramines. This change is intended to benefit our customers by reducing the levels of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in the system, while still providing protection from waterborne disease.

However, the change to chloramines can cause problems to persons dependent on dialysis machines. A condition known as hemolytic anemia can occur if the disinfectant is not completely removed from the water that is used for the dialysate. Consequently, the pretreatment scheme used for the dialysis units must include some means, such as a charcoal filter, for removing the chloramine prior to this date. Medical facilities should also determine if additional precautions are required for other medical equipment.

In addition, chloraminated water may be toxic to fish. If you have a fish tank, please make sure that the chemicals or filters that you are using are designed for use in water that has been treated with chloramines. You may also need to change the type of filter that you use for the fish tank.

If you have any questions reach out the compliance department at 281-367-5511 or compliance@municipalops.com.

Sincerely,
Koby K. Boman, P.E.
Supervising Engineer
Compliance Team
Municipal Operations and Consulting