Few issues inspire more passion in Texas and are more critical to our way of life than water. As one of the fastest growing counties in the fastest growing state, Hays County – and the Wimberley Valley in particular – is continually faced with water challenges. Small and large water users, water service providers and public officials must communicate to share valuable information and work together toward our common goal of preserving and sustaining the Wimberley Valley.
In February 2010, the Wimberley Valley Water Talks committee convened for the first time. Consisting of representatives from Aqua Texas, Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, City of Woodcreek, City of Wimberley, Hays County Commissioners Court, Wimberley Valley Watershed Association, Wimberley Volunteer Fire Department, Woodcreek Property Owners Association, Wimberley Springs Community Association, Oak Orchard Enclave, Wimberley Independent School District and Wimberley Water Supply, the committee meets monthly. Among the first items of discussion was the need for better lines of communication between the many diverse parties in the region.
This blog was created to begin an online dialogue about water quality, quantity, conservation and recycling. The objective is to provide an open forum to share community concerns, receive accurate, timely information about water and sewer service, exchange ideas and determine how we can work together as a community to address the Wimberley Valley’s current and future water needs.
Thank you for responding to our group so quickly; i.e. Water Talks Group.
This kind of communication will encourage thoughtfulness as we consider water/lack of water implications in the Wimberley Valley.
By: DuAnne Redus on March 17, 2010
at 1:07 pm
I’m glad this blog has been created. Thank you. I think this will be a good vehicle for getting information out, and receiving input from the community at large. I do think we need to change the opening comments to be more reflective of the group and less focused specifically on Aqua Texas. Otherwise, it might turn into a forum for negativity against Aqua. Focusing more on the diverse players, representing all of the Valley and many opinions, and our mission to improve the water situation here now and in the future, will make it a more effective tool in my opinion.
By: Jeff Rasco on March 25, 2010
at 6:45 am
Thank you, Councilman Rasco, for your feedback. The opening comments have been revised to better reflect the diversity of the Wimberley Valley Water Talks Committee. Please let us know if you’d like to see additional changes.
By: Administrator on April 27, 2010
at 1:14 pm
Excellent, thank you.
By: Jeff Rasco on April 12, 2010
at 11:05 am
I am living in Woodcreek North. I have a real problem with the amount of money that Aqua Texas is charging for these services. I pay a minimum of $120 a month just for water and sewer services. After this they then add on my actual water usage. So I pay total from $150-200 a month for a 1700 sqr foot home on 0.25 acres. With these prices they are driving down home prices by making our area less affordable and less attractable to people who might like to move here. Come on Aqua Texas, . . . with these ridiculous prices you are keeping new clients from moving to the area, which in turn gives you a lower client base to charge for your services. I have been trying to sell my home since 2008 and people have been interested in buying it, until they find out about Aqua Texas. This has been words from their own mouth, not mine.
By: Jason on December 16, 2010
at 7:15 am
Jason,
Thank you for your comments. We started this blog as a forum for the community to voice their questions or concerns, so we really appreciate the opportunity to address your questions about Aqua Texas rates. As you might know, Aqua Texas is a regulated utility, which means the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must approve our rates. Aqua does not arbitrarily set rates, nor are we able to change them without permission from the TCEQ. Our rates must be clearly justified based on the cost of providing water and sewer service plus an appropriate return on investment (money that Aqua spends to fix or improve water mains, sewer plants and so forth).
When Aqua Texas purchased the Woodcreek system from Aqua Source in 2003, the aging system was in need of significant repair. The water distribution pipes in Woodcreek, which were installed more than 30 years ago, are made of materials that have shown a tendency to break over time. The pipes were also poorly installed and embedded in native rock. The sharp edges of these stones can create points of high pressure that can cause the pipes to crack and break.
Since 2003, Aqua Texas has invested more than $2.25 million throughout Woodcreek and plans to invest another $5 million to improve the infrastructure. This investment in the community will reduce leaks and improve efficiency, which should provide long-term benefits to the value of your property. We believe that ignoring these problems would have a far more detrimental impact on property values in Woodcreek.
Customers sometimes compare our rates to those of the Wimberley Water Supply Corporation. It is important to note that Aqua Texas’ rates include both water and wastewater services, while Wimberley Water provides only water service. Wimberley Water’s current proposal to build a wastewater plant would reportedly cost its customers a $10,000 connection fee and a combined water and wastewater bill of $242.50 per month.
Something else to consider: Because Aqua Texas is a private company, our operations are funded solely by rates — without the benefit of any tax support. Customers of municipal water systems might see lower water and sewer bills, but they often pay additional property taxes to support the utility.
Hays County Commissioner Will Conley convened a committee of stakeholders in the Wimberley Valley to discuss water issues in the community. Because of the very issue you raise — concerns about property values in Woodcreek — a realtor was invited and has served on the committee for nearly a year now.
We are making a genuine effort to improve the community, and we thank you for your input. Aqua Texas shares the community’s goal of preserving and sustaining the Wimberley Valley, and we believe that a modern, efficient water system is a critical piece of that effort.
Sincerely,
Bob Laughman
President
Aqua Texas
By: Administrator on December 22, 2010
at 12:39 pm