Editor's note: The story below has been clarified to show that the North Fort Bend County Water Authority groundwater usage fee is per 1,000 gallons. 

Water bills in Fulshear will soon be higher.

The Fulshear City Council adopted the North Fort Bend County Water Authority groundwater usage fee of $3.65 per 1,000 gallons at its Dec. 18 meeting. Fulshear residents will see the increased fee on their February 2019 water bills, said Fulshear Public Works Director Sharon Valiante.

However, a proposed administrative fee of nine cents per 1,000 gallons was not approved by the council in an effort to help keep residents’ water bills under control.

Council members felt that the 9 cent per 1,000 gallon administrative fee should be a standardized fee per bill, rather than the fee being based on usage. City staff will explore that possibility and analyze methodology for determining that rate as well as provide more information prior to the next budget planning process, city administrator Jack Harper said.

“If an administrative fee per bill is necessary, then let’s talk about that, but per 1,000 gallons—it’s the same amount to process [a water bill] no matter how much the bill is,” Council Member Lisa Kettler Martin said.

The proposed surcharge would have paid for staffing and administrative costs associated with processing the groundwater usage fee, said city of Fulshear CFO Wes Vela. The fee had been charged in 2017 and earlier, but somehow had not been assessed during 2018, he said.

The surcharge is part of efforts of the Fort Bend Subsidence District and North Fort Bend Regional Water Authority to curb the use of groundwater by 2025. The goal of the two agencies is to reduce or eliminate subsidence in the Greater Houston area. Subsidence is the sinking of ground as water is pumped out, removing support for the ground above, according to North Fort Bend Regional Water Authority documents. Subsidence can cause damage to roads and homes, as well as increasing flood risks. The fee pays for infrastructure to bring surface water to the area.

All six council members present voted in favor of the measure, once the 9-cent administrative fee was removed. Council Member Dana Hollingsworth was absent from the meeting and did not vote on the measure.

To find out more about the Katy and Fulshear area’s groundwater reduction efforts, see Community Impact Newspaper's coverage here.