The North Fort Bend Water Authority has agreed to provide surface water to the city of Fulshear after the two entities resolved a rate dispute that has been ongoing for four years.
The overview
The agreement is for 20 years followed by three-year renewals, according to a Sept. 29 news release.
The authority will deliver surface water to the Fulshear Bend Water Plant by Dec. 31, 2027 and to the FM 1093 Water Plant by Dec. 31, 2028, with additional deliveries to other water plants to come at later dates.
Fulshear will receive at least 1.4 million gallons of water per day based on a 30-day average, per the agreement.
How we got here
Fulshear City Manager Zach Goodlander said the rate dispute between the city and authority began in 2022. The city notified the Public Utility Commission that it wasn’t receiving surface water even though it was paying for it.
Goodlander said the city has still had to proceed with groundwater projects even without surface water being collected, such as the groundwater wells and water plant improvements.
Assistant City Manager Kelsee Lee said city staff collaborated with the city's strategic water/wastewater infrastructure planning committee to get the agreement completed.
The details
The agreement is for 20 years followed by three-year renewals, according to a Sept. 29 news release.
The authority will deliver surface water to the Fulshear Bend Water Plant by Dec. 31, 2027 and to the FM 1093 Water Plant by Dec. 31, 2028, with additional deliveries to other water plants to come at later dates.
The agreement will give Fulshear at least 1.4 million gallons of water per day based on a 30-day average.
The takeaway
Due to the agreement, Fulshear will no longer move forward with the McKinnon Water Plant, saving the city $40 million, which Goodlander said can be removed from its wastewater bond package planned for the spring of 2027.
Goodlander said bringing in surface water to go along with the groundwater the city already has diversifies its resources. Capital improvement projects are also planned with the goal of treating the surface water.
Even though residents will not feel the effects of the agreement immediately, Goodlander said it will benefit them in the long term.
“Ultimately, it'll mean that rather than paying a groundwater disincentive fee, we'll be paying a surface water fee and actually getting water for that for the amount paid,” Goodlander said.
Looking ahead
Goodlander said a full resolution to the rate dispute will be finalized in the near future.
