Officials said the projects are needed to meet new groundwater standards set by the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District to reduce the potential for subsidence.
In a Nov. 5 news release, Texas Water Foundation CEO Sarah Rountree Schlessinger said Texas voters’ recent approval of a constitutional amendment adding up to $20 billion over the next 20 years to the Texas Water Fund should help government entities secure additional funding for water initiatives like infrastructure projects and awareness campaigns.
The overview
A total of four major water projects are currently underway in the Humble and Kingwood areas.
Among the projects is Humble’s $2.4 million water line project. Humble City Manager Jason Stuebe said the project will construct a roughly 3,000-foot water line connecting Houston’s water supply—located at the intersection of Hwy. 59 and Rankin Road—to Humble’s Water Well 6, located on Rankin Road.
“This is a vital project, ... [since the city of Humble needs] to take more surface water from the city of Houston,” Stuebe said.
Additionally, Phase 2 of Houston’s $1.97 billion expansion of the Northeast Water Purification Plant in Humble is expected to be substantially complete in late 2025, said Drew Molly, chief water officer for Houston Public Works.
Molly noted that the project, which includes the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility adjacent to the original facility, will increase the amount of water that can be treated at the plant from roughly 80 million gallons per day to 400 million gallons per day.
Separately, Houston Public Works is spearheading two additional projects in Kingwood, including a $12 million project at the Kingwood Central Wastewater Treatment Plant to improve the plant’s filtration system, and a $6 million project at the Forest Cove Wastewater Treatment Plant to replace aging ultraviolet disinfection systems.
The impact
In May, water and sewer rates jumped by about 20% each for the average residential customer in Humble after council members approved new rates, according to previous reporting.
Humble’s water is supplied, in part, through groundwater pumped from five local wells, but also through surface water, which is purchased from Houston, according to the city of Humble’s website.
“We will be, in effect, doubling how much we have to purchase from the city of Houston,” Stuebe said.
While Humble’s waterline project will help the city meet HGSD requirements, he said another water and sewer rate adjustment may be implemented in January.
“We’re trying to break this up to make it as easily swallowable as possible,” Stuebe said.
In April, Houston Public Works officials raised water rates by an average of 6% for customers, though the actual rate increase is dependent on individual water usage, according to the city’s website. The increase is the fourth of five planned rate hikes approved in 2021 to help fund improvements to the city’s sewer system.
The last rate increase approved as part of the consent decree will go into effect April 1, 2026, according to the city’s website.
The rate increase in Humble is coming as the city begins to adhere to regulations implemented by the HGSD that require government agencies to increase the amount of surface water they use from 30% to 60%, Humble Public Works Director Mark Arnold said.
HGSD data from 2019-23 shows the Greater Houston area continues to experience subsidence, or the collapsing of the land due to movement beneath the earth’s surface. According to previous reporting, HGSD General Manager Mike Turco said subsidence is often caused when entities use groundwater as opposed to surface water.
To alleviate subsidence, Turco said water authorities are required to follow HGSD’s regulatory plan of having 60% of their water supply coming from surface water by the end of this year and 80% by 2035.
A closer look
According to the Houston Public Works website, the wastewater treatment plants in Kingwood use a multistage treatment process designed to remove organic matter, solids and harmful pollutants from wastewater. These processes make the water safe enough to be discharged back into the environment, contributing to ecosystem health and pollution control.
Currently, Houston Public Works’ Wastewater Operations Branch operates and maintains 38 wastewater treatment plants, a water collection system consisting of more than 370 lift stations, which help pump water and wastewater to treatment facilities, and more than 6,100 miles of wastewater pipelines.
While Molly said the Kingwood area does not have any additional major wastewater projects coming soon, the city of Houston is considering appropriating roughly $4.5 million in funding for planned improvements at the Kingwood West Wastewater Treatment Plant.
What's next
Schlessinger said the voter-approved constitutional amendment will direct up to $1 billion of sales tax revenue per year from 2027-47 to the Texas Water Fund, which she noted will be helpful for local government entities by allowing them to obtain financing from the Texas Water Development Board.
According to the Texas Water Development Board’s website, the Texas Water Fund can be used to help fund the following projects and services:
- Water infrastructure projects for rural political subdivisions and municipalities with a population less than 150,000, like the city of Humble
- The statewide water public awareness program
- Water conservation strategies
- Water loss mitigation projects
