News post

Why is there an Orange Fence along the Hiking Trail in Wortham?

The orange safety fence marks the area where a new surface water supply line will be constructed along and under the MUD 222 walking trail along White Oak Bayou.  Construction will begin on Monday December 16, 2024 and is expected to be complete by January 17, 2025, weather permitting. This new water line is part of the North Harris County Regional Water Authority’s (NHCRWA) ongoing water line installations in our area. The walking trail area marked by the orange safety fence will be closed to the public during this time. The dog park and lake will still be accessible from the other portions of the walking trail. Note that portions of the walking trail will be open to the public but will be fended off at the construction area, and will temporarily be “dead ends”.

Will the trees be removed within the construction area?

No, all of the large healthy trees will remain in place and the new water line will be installed by boring under the trees.  The MUD 222 Board negotiated with the NHCRWA to preserve these trees.

What are the blue pipes near the big power lines?

The blue and black pipes currently stacked under the power transmission lines near Wortham Blvd is for the main water line being installed. It will go under Hwy 290 to service the MUDs in that area. If you would like to see maps showing the entire project, visit the NHCRWA website below and click on Projects.

The new pipeline being built to serve MUD 222 will connect to this main line near Eldridge and run along White Oak Bayou past the sewer treatment plant, past our park, under Wortham Blvd, and continue along the bayou until it reaches the MUD 222 water treatment plant located in the back of Wortham Grove. The pipeline will continue along White Oak Bayou behind Wortham Estates and crossing where Fallbrook ends at the bayou. Homeowners along this path (backing up to the bayou) will receive additional notifications.

What is NHCRWA?

The NHCRWA was established to address the growing water needs of our region and ensure a reliable, long-term water supply. As our population has increased, so has the demand for water, putting pressure on our existing groundwater resources. Over-reliance on groundwater has led to issues like land subsidence, where the land gradually sinks due to the removal of groundwater.

To combat this, the NHCRWA is working to reduce groundwater usage by transitioning to surface water sources. The pipeline installations you’ve seen are part of this initiative, designed to bring treated surface water from Lake Houston to local Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs). This will help stabilize the groundwater levels, reduce future land subsidence, and ensure a sustainable water supply for the future.

For more information, please click the link below.

https://www.nhcrwa.com/https://www.nhcrwa.com/

When will MUD 222 start using surface water?

The construction of the pipeline should be finished in early 2025 but our date of conversion has not yet been determined. The current estimate to convert Wortham Villages and Wortham Grove is the end of 2025 or early 2026. (Note we previously stated that conversion could happen as early as February 1, 2025 but that estimate has been updated by NHCRWA to take into account completion of the other pipeline projects to bring water to our district).

MUD 222 is currently preparing information about the surface water conversion and what our customers may expect. This information will be shared as we get closer to a firm date and will be distributed by multiple methods of communication (door hangers, direct mail, email, and text alerts). We will continue to update this website with the most current information and estimated dates of conversion.

Need more info? 

Please use the https://www.mud222.org/contactContact Us form to let us know your questions or concerns and we will make sure the right person gets in touch with you.