The Courier of Montgomery County reported that as the Conroe City Council moved closer to issuing a citywide building moratorium and looking for a water capacity waiver from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as grim picture was painted of the current water crisis.
On Thursday, by a 3 to 2 vote, the council moved forward with the plan, which would include public hearings and another vote.
Last August, a 120-day moratorium was approved by the council on all new residential and commercial development on the north side of the city, which it next extended in December.
Lack of water infrastructure has prompted a potential citywide moratorium, as the city staff seeks solutions.
The city is out of compliance with state water capacity requirements, according to Assistant City Administrator and Director of Public Works Norm McGuire.
The requirement from the TCEQ is that 85 percent of a city’s water capacity can meet current, typical demand. This leaves 15 percent to address peak demand and unexpected issues.
Conroe is operating over capacity, according to Assistant Public Works Director Jason Miller.
The Texas Administrative Code, according to McGuire and Miller, requires that a city provide .6 gallons per minute to each system connection.
Asking TCEQ to allow the city to reduce the .6 gallons per minute requirement, is one way to get closer to the 85 percent requirement according to McGuire.
Miller said the city could invoke Stage 1 of their Drought Contingency Plan as summer approaches to help conserve water. Instituting the plan would request that residents voluntarily limit watering to once a week for hose-end sprinklers and irrigation systems.
From 2011 to 2013 $195 million was requested by city staff but only $71 million was approved. Since 2024, steps have been taken which include the moratorium and construction underway on Water Plant No. 2, a bypass water line for Plant 15, a design phase for two more wells and the planning of two more.
