SJRA Board of Directors approves refunds for wholesale water customers in the SJRA Groundwater Reduction Plan

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The San Jacinto River Authority Board of Directors today approved a plan that includes refunding $12 million to wholesale water customers that are participants in SJRA’s Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP).

Additional funds became available when two non-paying GRP participants paid money that was owed to SJRA along with an unanticipated increase in revenue to the GRP due to recent droughts in the area. The proposed plan provides a credit to GRP participants based on their prorated share of water used during the 2022-2023 drought period. Along with the refund, the additional funds will be used to pay down bonds secured in 2012 and 2013 to construct the surface water treatment plant at Lake Conroe and the related transmission lines and facilities necessary to supply some GRP participants with surface water. Paying down the debt will benefit the GRP participants financially as it could mean a reduction in rates for all participants.

The SJRA GRP has 80 customers under contract, of which seven receive surface water. The 80 customers are represented by a GRP Review Committee that meets monthly to determine expectations and make policy recommendations regarding the GRP. The GRP Review Committee voted in favor of the refund and bond debt reduction on Monday and the full SJRA Board of Directors approved the resolution at their March 28 meeting.

The SJRA’s GRP participants are area retail water providers including cities, municipal utility districts, and independently owned utilities. SJRA does not set the retail rates charged to individual retail customers. That is the responsibility of the retail water provider or municipality. For more information on household bills, individuals are urged to contact their retail provider.