Latest news for Harris County MUD 397
The North Harris County Regional Water Authority is immediately terminating Stage 1 of its’ Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), pursuant to Article III, 2 (B). Please continue to conserve water to preserve our natural resources.
The Board of Directors of Harris County Water Control & Improvement District No. 155 (the “District”) has approved moving forward with the first phase of its trail project.
Phase 1 of the trail will be along the north side of Channel A (the channel running adjacent to Cypresswood Drive) from Crescent Lily to Fairfield Falls Way. It will consist of an approximate six-foot wide concrete sidewalk and will include grouped tree plantings, benches, trash bins, and doggy waste stations.
A preliminary design for Phase 1 will be presented to the Board of Directors at its meeting on July 24, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. at Bradford Creek Clubhouse, and the public is invited to attend.
The goal of the Board is to provide connectivity and beautify the trail system, so it can be easily enjoyed by all residents. The first phase of the project will provide better and safer access to the middle school for kids walking or riding bikes.
The location of Phase 1 is shown below:
Lisha Lupher, director on Harris County MUD 396, presents checks from both Harris County MUD 396 and Harris County MUD 397 to Dr. Elizabeth Miller, principal of Swenke Elementary School. The checks are the final part of a year-long fundraising campaign by the Swenke PTO, families within the Fairfield community as well as generous donations by Harris County MUD 396, Harris County MUD 397, and Harris County MUD 322. The Fairfield MUDS played an integral role in funding the all-inclusive playground for special needs children and also a canopy to shade the multiple structures and specialized surfaces. This will be the first of its kind park within Cy-Fair ISD. Moving forward, it is the hope that this partnership between MUDS and the school district will be a catalyst to see more of these all-inclusive parks and recreational facilities built in other areas of the Cy Fair ISD community. This park will serve all children and will be available to the public outside of school hours.
WATER HAS BEEN RESTORED!! The water main has been repaired and Inframark will now begin the hydrant flushing process throughout the districts to remove any excess air in the lines.
Winter weather and freezing temperatures are expected this week across Texas. The National Weather Service is forecasting widespread freezing temperatures on Friday and Saturday mornings. Residents should closely monitor media and the National Weather Service for updates to the forecast. We wanted to assure you that the teams at Inframark are monitoring and working diligently in preparation for a freezing weather event to safeguard your facilities. It is also important that you take action as well in protecting the “Four P’s”: People, pets, pipes and plants.
People
Pets
Pipes
Plants
Additionally, if you have an irrigation system, turn off the water to the system at your backflow preventer and then drain the system so your irrigation pipes and sprinkler heads are not damaged.
The following sites can also be used as a source of information and to keep you updated:
Where you can learn more:
Stay safe and stay warm.
The EPA has recommended the following:
Outdoors
For more information, click below
The EPA has recommended the following:
For Every Room in the House With Plumbing
In the Kitchen
In the Bathroom
Laundry
For more information, click below
Trash/recycling service is changing. Leave your Waste Management recycling cart out after the pickup on June 24 for retrieval by Waste Management. A new Best Trash cart will follow.
This service is being provided by the Fairfield MUDs: Harris County Municipal Utility District Nos. 322, 354, 396 and 397. For updates sign up for email/text blasts.
Waste Management, the current residential trash and recycling provider in Fairfield, has moved its staging location and has given notice to the Fairfield MUDs that at the end of its contract it will no longer be able to service Fairfield. After requesting proposals and interviewing three companies, the Fairfield MUDs have selected Best Trash, a local company which has been in business 13 years, as the new provider. Here is what you need to know:
Best Trash will pick up trash in the carts they provide at the curb twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Best Trash carts will be 65 gallons, not 95 gallons. Additional refuse may be placed in other containers (between 30- 50 gallons) or bags (not weighing over 40 pounds) and placed next to the Best Trash provided trash cart. Best Trash will not be using automated trucks, allowing for more flexibility in what it will pick up.
Fairfield will be split into two areas for recycling. Best Trash will pick up recycling in the carts they provide at the curb once a week.
Best Trash will pick up yard and bulk waste twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Trees, shrubs, brush trimmings and fencing must be no larger than 4 inches in diameter, no more than 4 feet long, tied in bundles not exceeding 40 pounds. The tied bundles is required to allow quick pickup and size limitations are required to avoid damaging the equipment in the compacting process. Items such as appliances, furniture, mattresses, carpet (up to 1 room of carpet, cut less than 4 feet wide, tied in bundles not exceeding 40 pounds), will be picked up on both garbage collection days.
Waste Management’s last recycling day will be Friday, June 24, 2022. Waste Management’s last waste collection day will be Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Best Trash will commence service on Tuesday, July 1, 2022.
Best Trash plans to begin delivering its recycling carts to residents on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, and its waste carts on Friday, June 24, 2022. Please do not start using the new carts until July 1, 2022.
Waste Management’s contractor will begin removing the Waste Management recycling carts from residences immediately after service on Friday, June 24, 2022 and they will work over the weekend to collect the recycling carts. MAKE SURE YOUR CART IS EMPTY AND LEAVE IT AT THE CURBSIDE LOCATION FOR PICKUP. If you do not leave the Recycling Cart curbside or you put anything in the Recycling Cart, it will not be removed and there will not be a second trip.
Waste Management’s contractor will begin removing the Waste Management waste carts from residences immediately after service on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. MAKE SURE YOUR CART IS EMPTY AND LEAVE IT AT THE CURBSIDE LOCATION FOR PICKUP. If you do not leave the Waste Cart curbside or you put anything in the Cart, it will not be removed and there will not be a second trip.
Residents pay for their trash and recycling services as part of the base fee on their water bill. The base fee will not increase due to the change in trash providers.
Website: www.best-trash.com
Email: customerservice@besttrashtexas.com
Call: 281-313-2378
On April 1, 2021, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority will increase the fee it charges on groundwater pumped within its boundaries from $4.25 per 1,000 gallons to $4.60 per 1,000 gallons.
This increase will affect all water customers in Fairfield. The North Harris County Regional Water Authority fee is a separate line item on customer bills which the Fairfield MUDs collect and pass through to the North Harris County Regional Water Authority. The Fairfield MUDs have no control over this fee and do not charge any sort of mark up on it.
WHAT IS THE REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY?
The North Harris County Regional Water Authority is a political subdivision of the State covering northwest Harris County outside of the City of Houston. Its purpose is to provide surface water to the area within its boundaries in order to reduce the pumping of groundwater from the local aquifer. Because of the increase in population in northwest Harris County, too much groundwater is being taken from the ground, causing the ground to sink.
The North Harris County Regional Water Authority is under a mandate to reduce the groundwater usage in its boundaries from 70% to 40% by 2025. To comply with this mandate, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority is participating in several very expensive projects to provide surface water to local MUDs, cities, and private utilities. It is paying its share of the Luce Bayou project which transfers water from the Trinity River to Lake Houston, the expansion of the Lake Houston water purification plant, and the transmission lines and pumping stations to bring the water from Lake Houston to the area within its boundaries.
To pay for these costs, the Authority’s fee has increased annually and is expected to continue to do so. If it isn’t already, it will soon be the biggest part of the water bill.
WHAT CAN RESIDENTS DO?
Residents can find out more about North Harris County Regional Water Authority at www.nhcrwa.org. The Board of Directors of the Authority holds monthly meetings, which are open to the public. Members of the Board of Directors are elected by district. Fairfield is in District 1.
Residents can learn more about water conservation. The less water the resident uses, the lower the bill. to learn more about water conservation, visit a website about ways to conserve water usage in your home. There are many on the internet these days, such as www.savewatertexas.com, that contain a lot of educational items for a homeowner.
Harris County MUDs 396 and 397 contributed to the Swenke Elementary School Garden project. The Districts helped in:
Up next: Playground shades! Stay tuned.
