Author: CCUD

There is a lot happening in the Cypress Creek Utility District (CCUD) in 2022 so we hope this newsletter helps to keep you informed and connected to activities in our CCUD community. For more details about our utility district and these topics over the next few months, please visit the CCUD website at www.cycreekud.com.

 

Trash / Recycle

Let’s start off with ongoing customer service issues with Texas Pride Disposal.  Due to the high number of complaints (especially after the ice storm and the 2021 holidays) our CCUD Board added a red button on the CCUD home page to “Report Trash/Recycle Problem”.

Congrats to those who found and used the red button after the January 8^th missed recycle pickup!  After reviewing the complaints submitted online and communicating with some residents, the board is working closely with Texas Pride to send earlier communications to residents if there will be a change in the pick-up schedules.

NOTIFICATION TO RESIDENTS WILL BE DONE BY EMAIL AND TEXTS.  If you have not already submitted your information to receive these communications and wish to do so, go to www.cycreekud.com and click on “SIGN UP FOR DISTRICT ALERTS” at the top right corner of the home page.

Conversion to Surface Water

WHEN:  The BIG change to CCUD customers in 2022 will be conversion from well water to surface water.  We are on track to make the conversion in Spring, 2022, possibly in April.   Once a definitive timeline is established, CCUD district customers will be informed.  Watch for announcements in your monthly bill and by email notifications.

WHY: Widespread use of ground water has caused land to subside throughout Harris County. CCUD is located within the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (NHCRWA), a regional entity created to address subsidence. The regular increases in your water bill are directly linked to actions of NHCRWA and CCUD in preparing for the change in water supply.

In your January utility bill you received an insert from the NHCRWA, “The Rising Cost of Water”.  In this pamphlet, you will find an article titled, “The Mandate” which explains the purpose of conversion to surface water.

“Groundwater withdrawal in Harris and Galveston counties is regulated by the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD), a special purpose district created by the Texas Legislature in 1975 for the purpose of reducing land subsidence.

The HGSD requires the North Harris County Regional Water Authority to convert to an alternate water source via a 30% reduction of groundwater usage by 2010, 60% by 2025 and 80% by 2035.”

HOW:  The conversion to surface water means that our water will change from well water to surface water from Lake Houston.  You may have already seen construction work in our district to lay the new water pipes. The conversion to surface water may result in a change in taste due to the change in mineral content.  At first you may also see a color change – if so, we ask that you report any color change to the water district operator, Water, Environmental & Technical Services (WETS) at 281-469-2837.

A special note about water softeners: Surface water tends to be lower in hardness and alkalinity.  Water softeners can alter the stability of the water to your home.  Due to the change in water quality of surface water, NHCRWA advises homeowners who have water softeners to bypass their systems to prevent adverse impacts on plumbing and water quality. Ultimately this is the homeowner’s decision, and if you have questions about your water softener system you should contact your water softener manufacturer’s representative or service company.

Resources for more information:

• Video and more articles about the Rising Cost of Water: https://www.nhcrwa.com/
• Community Impact Article Jan/Feb 2010: Subsidence Forces Shift to Surface Water:  https://community-impact-website.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/wpengine/uploads/archives/NWH/issues/NWH-2010-01.pdf

Upcoming Sanitary Sewer Improvements

A sanitary sewer rehabilitation project is tentatively scheduled to begin sometime around May or June.  The project area is generally north of Norchester Village Drive and south of Idlebrook Drive.  Excavation is not anticipated.  Work will be performed within the sanitary sewer system by accessing manholes which are generally located in back yards.

Required Lead and Copper Testing

The EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions took effect December 16, 2021 and require water utilities to make comprehensive reviews of their service lines, including customer lines.  Utilities may have to work in customers’ homes to comply with new “find and fix” requirements or face stiff penalties.

Testing in customer homes will begin later this year, schedule TBD.  All customers will be informed before testing begins. More information will come at a later date.

The Board members of Cypress Creek Utility District have been made aware of some ongoing problems related to trash and/or recycling pickup which were discussed at our December Board meeting. CCUD residents have always been encouraged to report all trash and recycle issues directly to Texas Pride Disposal and may continue to do so if desired.  However, the CCUD Board would also like to be made aware of any current, ongoing and/or unresolved problems.  Therefore, a decision was made by the CCUD Board to put a new RED button on the CCUD home page, “REPORT TRASH / RECYCLE PROBLEM”.

SUMMARY:  Please report a missed pick up and any other trash/recycle issue directly to https://www.cycreekud.com by filling out the form there. Reports will be sent to both the CyCreek UD board and to Texas Pride directly. Reports will be tracked over time to identify possible patterns in missed pickups or other issues to be addressed.

If desired, residents may continue to report a missed pick up and any other trash/recycle issue directly to Texas Pride Disposal at service@texaspridedisposal.com or by calling them at 281-342-8178.  Phone calls may get a quicker response due to the time required for email Please be aware that the office for Texas Pride Disposal is closed on Saturdays.

The CCUD Board appreciates your patience and cooperation in trash and recycle services.

Following is the latest information on holiday pickup schedule for trash and recycling pickup

• Trash pickup before Christmas will be Wednesday, December 22nd.
• Please note that there with be NO pickups of either trash or recycling on Saturday – CHRISTMAS DAY
• Next trash pickup will be Wednesday, December 29th.
• There will also be NO pickups of either trash or recycling on Saturday – NEW YEAR’S DAY.
• Next recycling pickup will be Saturday, January 8th.

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Notice from Texas Pride:

Happy holidays to our Texas Pride Disposal family! We wish everyone a happy holiday season. Please see our holiday schedule and tips below.

Holiday Schedule

Christmas Services

• Saturday, December 25th: No collection.
  Garbage rolls to Wednesday, December 29th.
  Recycle rolls to Saturday, January 8th.
• Office: Closed Friday, December 24th and Saturday, December 25th.

New Year’s Services

• Saturday, January 1st: No collection.
  Garbage rolls to Wednesday, January 5th.
  Recycle rolls to Saturday, January 8th.
• Office: Closed Friday, December 31st and Saturday, January 1st.

Holiday Tips

With excess volume being produced this time of year, we encourage residents to minimize their waste in the following ways:

• Heavy Trash: Please minimize heavy trash when possible.
• Cardboard: Please flatten boxes to expedite collection and minimize space.
• Yard Waste: Please mulch grass and leaves when possible. Leaves are one of the best natural fertilizers and mulches you can place in your garden.
• Recyclables: Recycle as much as possible, including all of your paper, gift wrap, cardboard, gift boxes, wax board containers, glass bottles and jars, metal cans and containers, and rigid plastics. Place excess recycle in containers clearly labeled recycle, paper bag, or boxes. Clearly separate your trash from recycle to avoid confusion between crews.

The water line repair on Crestfield Court was completed and water service has been restored as of 6 pm today.

Cypress Creek Utility District was just notified that Centerpoint Energy just hit a water line on Crestfield Court.

Water will be turned off this afternoon during the repair of the water line. The repair should be completed this afternoon. We will follow up with a final status report.

If you have any questions, please contact WETS at 281-469-2837.

The CYPRESS CREEK U.D. will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2021 on October 14, 2021 at 6:00 P.M. at 10643 Mills Walk Drive, Houston, TX 77070. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners.

Read notice for more information.

Cypress Creek Utility District has been informed that a portion of the video inspection of sanitary sewer lines had technical issues and will have to be re-done by the contractor, AIMS Companies.

Beginning on Monday, 8-16-2021, the crew will revisit about 5 manhole locations for this work. Below is the list of locations and addresses that will be affected.

Message from AIMS:

AIMS will need to re-video about 5 sanitary sewer lines which had bad video the first time they were televised. The addresses (and locations) that will be affected are shown below. This work will take one day and is schedule for next Monday, 8-16-21. On Thursday 8-12, AIMS will put door hangers on the affected addresses advising them of the work next Monday as well as their responsibilities and what they can expect (see attached).

Manholes 87A to Manholes 87B (Manholes located in road right of way)

• Balcrest Drive (between Glenway Drive and Cypreswood Drive)

MH 72 to MH 71 (manholes located in back lots)

• 10710 Elmdale Drive
• 10714 Elmdale Drive
• 10718 Elmdale Drive
• 10722 Elmdale Drive
• 10802 Elmdale Drive
• 10806 Elmdale Drive
• 10711 Fawniew Drive
• 10715 Fawnview Drive
• 10719 Fawnview Drive
• 10723 Fawnview Drive
• 10803 Fawnview Drive
• 10807 Fawnview Drive

MH 68 to MH 69 (manholes located in back lots)

• 10606 Elmdale Drive
• 10610 Elmdale Drive
• 10614 Elmdale Drive
• 10618 Elmdale Drive
• 10603 Fawniew Drive
• 10607 Fawnview Drive
• 10611 Fawnview Drive
• 10615 Fawnview Drive

MH 83 to MH 84 (manholes located in back lots)

• 10503 Elmdale Drive
• 10502 Fawnview Drive
• 10506 Fawnview Drive
• 10519 Glenway Drive

MH 111 to MH 114 (manhole located in road R.O.W.)

• Cypresswood Drive between Balcrest Drive and Jones Road

As the water line replacement project wraps up in the CCUD, the contractors have made an effort to repair & restore areas that were damaged. If you see an area still needing repair, please contact our operators, WETS at 281-469-2837.

As a reminder, if you have new sod in your yard, please water the area frequently to help establish a good root system. New sod in our current hot weather needs frequent watering, generally every day, for the first few weeks.

Work on water service lines at the addresses shown below has been completed and we have received satisfactory test results for the water and are putting notices on the doors to rescind the Boil Water Notice. The following addresses were affected, and may now use water as usual.

• 10426-10616 Cypresswood

Watch for Rescinding Notices on Your Front Door

Cypress Creek Utility District would like to thank you for your cooperation during the water outage and boil water notification period.

We have received satisfactory results that the water is safe, and we are issuing the Boil Water Rescind Notice.

Note: This is a reschedule of the work postponed from July 5,2021. Now scheduled for Tuesday, July 6.

Work is progressing on the CyCreekUD project to replace aging water lines. On Tuesday, July 6, workers will begin to switch lateral water lines over to the new main lines for addresses listed below. This requires turning off water for several hours, on a block-by-block basis, to reconnect the lines. When that work is completed, testing is required to verify that the water is safe to drink. That testing takes about 24-48 hours. After water is tested and approved, the BOIL WATER NOTICE will be rescinded. See details below.

The following addresses will be affected by water outages on Tuesday July 6, 2021, from 9 am to 4 pm:

• 10502-10535 Jaycreek
• 10503-10819 Idlebrook
• 10518-10522 Cypresswood

Watch for Notices on Your Front Door

One side of the notice is about the water outage and the other side will include a BOIL WATER NOTICE. The boil water notice will likely be in effect 24-48 hours.