Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) Board meeting, January 14, 2026 w/CoH presentation

Описание: HGSD Regular Board meeting

MAJOR TOPIC - Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi and Drew Molly, First Chief Water Officer gave a presentation with Q&A afterwards.

Below is the Good, Bad and the Ugly regarding water with the City of Houston!

RANDY:
Under Mayor John Whitmire, the City is undergoing significant transformation in its operational practices. There is a lot of effort to ensure the City is doing the right things in the right way. Making sure our dollars are going as far as they possibly can go and our people are in places where they can be successful. Public Works is the largest civilian department in the city with more than 4,000 employees and an annual budget that exceeds 3.5 billion dollars. The Whitmire administration is committed in shoring up our infrastructure.

Points today - where the utility is at and where it is going:

*The transition system with the city has been long neglected so...The construction for the new surface water treatment plant was expedited - which is our workhorse. More than 60% of our daily production comes from the East plant.

*The City of Houston, on an annual basis, LOSES 32 BILLION GALLONS OF TREATED WATER. (That is more than the entire city of Fort Worth uses on an annual basis.) Break that down in daily numbers -
It is roughly 88 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY!

*WE LOSE AN ENTIRE PLANTS WORTH OF PRODUCTION OF WATER DUE LARGELY TO LEAKY PIPES, BROKEN WATER MAINS AND OTHER FACTORS THAT WE, AS A DEPARTMENT, HAVE DONE A VERY POOR JOB ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

*Priority is to get these problems fixed. We have dedicated financial resources to shoring up infrastructure. Houston problems aren't just Houston problems. They affect all of us collectively. Within the water system, we are in the same boat together because Houston provides water whether it is treated or not, to effectively everybody in our region. It is paramount to us that we ensure the more precious resource we have is stewarded appropriately and properly and we set ourselves up for success.

DREW:
Natural resources are becoming more scarce. We live in a part of the state where surface water is abundant. The City has been a long time partner with HGSD. To set the context with size and magnitude - a high level overview - Water is treated at 3 surface water plants, NEWPP, East (build in 1954), and SE. 7 water pump stations that help move water across the system. 7,000 miles of pipeline. We serve over 5 million people. We have 7 water systems that we own and operate (ie. Kingwood).

To cut to the chase - the efforts made by the City of Houston in complying with the goals -
Area 1 - No groundwater is currently being pumped.
Area 2 - We are limited to 20% withdrawal of groundwater. We typically use about 7 to 12%.
Area 3 - Starting in 2026 allowable use of groundwater is 40%..... (work in progress)

We have a lot of work set to happen. We feel like we have the right resources. There will be obstacles along the way. We work collaboratively with our partners. We have 1600 employees in our department.

Q - What is the city planning to do to address the water leaks?
A - It is not acceptable to have water running down the street. We are replacing about 3% of our water lines. WE HAVE FALLEN SHORT IN YEARS PAST. We are adding more crews to address leaks. Low interest financing with the TWDB has a string attached - and that is you have to meet certain water loss requirements.

*WE HAD A STELLAR BACKLOG. A YEAR AGO WE HAD 1800 WATER LEAKS. NOW WE ARE DOWN TO APPX 500. We have a system that tracks and catalogs the leaks. It has been a challenge for many, many years. We are committed to our community to fix this. We have the resources and the will to do it.

Q - What is the City of Houston's position on cooperating and working with the districts in the north to convert?
A - Point well taken. We are undergoing a dramatic transformation. The City was used to doing business a particular way. All options are on the table. From our perspective, WE ARE DESPERATELY PLAYING CATCH UP ON ALL THE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS WE HAVE.

A hallmark of John Whitmire's administration is to collaborate and cooperate. We have to be a better partner. A partnership really needs to be a collaborative process where you walk away friends and not enemies. Challenges ebb and flow.