Welcome to Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 152
Through HCMUD 152’s website you can easily find links to the following services.
Security Enhancements to Begin March 1, 2020
Atascocita, Texas February 4, 2020—The Board of Directors of Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 152 (the “District”) offer their condolences to the family of the teen who was killed in Atascocita South on Sunday morning. We understand that an arrest has already been made through the effort of the deputies in Constable Precinct No. 4, as well as by other law enforcement agencies.
In light of this incident, we wanted to alert the Atascocita South and Atasca Woods neighborhoods that effective March 1, 2020, there will be six deputies from Constable Precinct No. 4 contracted to serve our neighborhoods, providing coverage on a 24/7 basis.
This change is being initiated by the District and the Atascocita South and Atasca Woods homeowners associations. Currently, the HOAs pay a portion of the cost of extra security provided by the Precinct 4 constables for several neighborhoods in the greater Atascocita area. The HOAs wanted better coverage of their neighborhoods and approached the District to discuss the best way to achieve that result. After discussion with the HOAs, the Board of Directors of the District agreed to take over the responsibility for contracting with the constables for extra security for the immediate future. The District then entered into a contract with the Precinct 4 constables to patrol the area within the District (being the Atascocita South and Atasca Woods neighborhoods). The District decided to expand the coverage to six deputies to enable there to be 24/7 coverage. Homeowners will pay a part of the cost of the security through an increase in the base rate of their water bills of $7.00. In exchange for this change in responsibility, the HOAs agreed to reduce their dues.
We believe that this change and increased security will be of benefit to District residents.
Storm Water Inlet Markings (SWIM) Install
Atascocita HS Student Council, in collaboration with MUD 152, began installing the makers Dec.,5, 2019 and has continued for a few weeks. They have been out during the week with safety vests and traffic flags installing decals on 1,100 storm inlets throughout Atascocita South and Atasca Woods subdivisions. The purpose is to remind citizens not to dump pollutants into storm inlets or contribute to ordinary storm water runoff by littering, over-fertilizing, or sweeping yard debris into the street. Unlike sewage, storm water receives no treatment. Each year, student council fund raise throughout the year in order to sponsor events for the student body and community-at-large. MUD 152 directors will surprise the group during their February meeting with a stipend to commend their work in our community.
Additional info:
https://www.cleanwaterways.org/swim/
https://www.cleanwaterways.org/downloads/brochures/SWIM%20brochure%20english.pdf
MUD No. 152 Refinances Debt to Cut Interest Rate
On August 28, 2019, Harris County MUD No. 152 successfully refinanced its debt in order to take advantage of today’s low interest rates. The District issued $4,060,000 in unlimited tax refunding bonds to refund and redeem a portion of its outstanding debt.
By doing the refinancing, Harris County MUD No. 152 saved $261,198 net of costs, for annual savings in its debt service expense of $37,314.
The District was able to secure bond insurance on its new bonds, causing the rating on the bonds to be “AA.” The District carries an underlying rating of “A+” from Standard & Poor’s.
Sidewalk Project Completed
We are happy to announce the completion of the much-needed sidewalk for children going to Timbers Elementary and Atascocita Middle School. Harris County MUD No. 152 would like to thank the Humble Independent School District for partnering with us to make this project a success.
MUD No. 152 to Build Sidewalk at Timbers Elementary
Harris County MUD No. 152 has partnered with Humble Independent School District to provide a much-needed segment of sidewalk for children going to Timbers Elementary and Atascocita Middle School. The new sidewalk will be on Lonesome Woods Trail in front of Timbers Elementary. It will be four feet wide and fully ADA compliant. Harris County MUD No. 152 will pay for the sidewalk from funds it receives under an agreement with the City of Houston, which allows the MUD to collect a percentage of the sales tax paid by businesses in the district. The School District has agreed to maintain the sidewalk once completed.
Construction is scheduled to begin this week and be completed by August 1, weather permitting.
EPA/Watersense
Do you know how much water a family of four uses every day in the United States? Not 50 gallons, not 100 gallons, but 400 gallons! You could take up to 10 baths with that much water—but who would want to do that? Fortunately, there are many things we can do to save.
Click the link below to find out:
Don’t Flush That
What Can I Flush?
When it goes down the drain, it’s gone, right? WRONG! The wastewater system is designed to dispose of water, toilet paper, and bodily fluids. ANYTHING else can potentially block the flow, causing everything that went down to come back up. Backups can happen in your home, the street, lift stations, and wherever is there an opportunity for reverse flow. Many products don’t belong in your drains and can cause damage to pipes, along with negatively impacting our water supply.
COMMON ITEMS FLUSHED AND WHY THEY SHOULD NOT BE
- Wipes- No Wipes in the Pipes! Even those labeled “flushable” are too thick and do not break down easily.
- Feminine Hygiene Products- Designed to absorb moisture and expand, prevents safe passage through pipes.
- Paper Towels, Napkins, and Tissue- Designed to absorb moisture and stay together when wet, they do not break down easily.
- Animal Training Pads- Constructed of a waterproof film that prevents liquid from passing through and a super-absorbent polymer and fluff pulp, which turns liquids into gel. These do not break down in water and can cause major pipeline blockages.
- Cotton Balls and Swabs- They do not break down in water, instead they gather together and are difficult to dislodge.
- Grease, Oil, and Fats- Grease may go in as liquid, but as soon as it hits the drain, it cools and becomes a pipe-clogging wax. Pour leftover grease in a can and then throw it away. Learn more at Cease the Grease.
- Cat Litter- Made from clay and sand, two things that should NEVER be flushed. Cat waste contains toxins and parasites that are not good for the health and safety of the system.
- Condoms- Easy to flush, but not so easy on the wastewater system. Condoms can inflate like balloons and cause destructive obstructions in the pipes.
- Medication- Wastewater treatment processes are not designed to remove chemicals found in drugs. These chemicals can then be pumped into the lakes and streams, contaminating ground water and wildlife downstream.
- Disposable Diapers- Made from a toxic plastic designed to expand when wet does not flow in pipes.
- Dental Floss- It can wrap around objects in pipes, making small clogs bigger in an instant.
- Cigarette Butts- Full of chemicals that can end up in the water supply.
- Plastic Bandages- Made of non-biodegradable plastic that is harmful to the environment and causes clogs in pipes.
- Pets- Goldfish are most commonly flushed, but small rodents (hamsters and gerbils) have also been found in the wastewater system. They’re sturdy and can create clogs. Please consider a proper burial.
- Food- Although food is biodegradable, it doesn’t always break down as fast as we think. It can lump together and cause clogs in pipes.
- Hair- Like floss, it can tangle, creating a “net” that can create clogs.
Lake Houston Watershed
The Lake Houston watershed is located northwest of Jackson Bayou watershed and north of the Lower San Jacinto River watershed. The East and West Forks of the San Jacinto River and the San Jacinto River are the primary streams that flow through the watershed before the San Jacinto River flows into the Lower San Jacinto River watershed.
Lake Houston is a 12,240-acre reservoir constructed on the San Jacinto River. It has a drainage area of approximately 2,600 square miles. This watershed has sedimentation issues that the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), the City of Houston, the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), Texas A&M University, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are trying to address in a cooperative project.
Lake Houston also has invasive species problems that impede access and reduce recreational activity. The San Jacinto river was named one of the ten most endangered rivers in 2006 due to habitat damage caused by development. Fisheries for crappie, Lake Houston Aerial catfish, and largemouth bass are species that will benefit from this habitat improvement partnership. For more information on the San Jacinto River Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Project go to: www.reservoirpartnership.org and http://www.reservoirpartnership.org/Projects/San_Jacinto_River_Watershed_Restoration_and_Enhancement.pd