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Municipal Utility Districts, also known as MUD’s, are special government entities of the State of Texas. Regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), a MUD’s primary function is to provide water and wastewater services and maintain drainage facilities within its boundaries. The MUD may collect taxes, charge for its services, and create and enforce restrictive covenants and regulations to accomplish its purposes. One of the most important feature about Municipal Utility Districts is that they are governed by a Board of Directors elected by the voters in the District. The Board is therefore elected by and works for the residents of the District, and meets monthly to make decisions and accomplish the tasks required to provide District services to the residents.

We encourage all residents to monitor their homes for possible water leaks. If there is an unexplained increase in your monthly water bill, there’s a possibility that you may have a water leak. You can confirm that by monitoring your meter at a time when you aren’t using water. To do so, turn off any running water inside and outside your house. Write down the reading on the meter, and don’t use any water for an hour or two. At the end of that time, read the meter again. If it’s different than the first reading, it indicates that water flowed through the meter, and that you may have a water leak.

How to Read your Water Meter

The most common cause of leaks inside the house is a leaking toilet flush valve. An easy method of checking for a leaking toilet is to add some food coloring to the water in the tank. Don’t flush the toilet for an hour. If the water in the bowl of the toilet becomes colored by the end of that time, you have a leaking flush valve. Water faucets, both inside and outside the house, can also be leaking. In most cases, it’s caused by a worn washer or “O” ring. If there’s a leak in the water lines outside your house, part of your lawn will be wetter than the rest of your yard and will not dry out. This could indicate that the water line below that spot needs to be repaired. Your sprinkler system, water softener, and automatic fill devices on swimming pools are other possible sources of leaks.

In addition to leaks, there are a number of possible reasons for a high water bill: over watering your lawn, running half-full loads of laundry or dishes, and many other reasons. You can save money by using water efficiently, through good water conservation practices. We encourage our residents to install water-saving devices that do not negatively affect your lifestyles, such as water-efficient toilets, faucets and shower heads, and automated irrigation systems.

Your water bill may be reduced using a number of techniques. Links on this site go to several water related web sites with ideas you may use to reduce water usage and your bill. If you want to know how much water you use in normal activities and how to reduce the amount of water you use, and your bill, click here.

There are a number of reasons. First, our water is a limited natural resource, and it’s important to use it efficiently all the time, not just during drought conditions. The water in our aquifer is limited, so we also save money by using water efficiently, because it reduces our demand for more costly alternative water supply sources. In addition, we improve our water supply reliability in low-rainfall periods. Part of managing ground water use is to prevent or minimize land subsidence. The District’s water well is located in Fort Bend County and subject to regulation by the Fort Bend Subsidence District. The Subsidence District has mandated a reduction in groundwater usage and a phased conversion to surface water. To obtain more information regarding the Subsidence District and its Regulatory Plan, click here. In order to meet the Subsidence District requirements, the District has been included in a Groundwater Reduction Plan prepared and submitted to the Subsidence District by the North Fort Bend Water Authority. To obtain more information regarding the North Fort Bend Water Authority and its Groundwater Reduction Plan, click here. Conservation results in reduced cost to the consumer, and looks toward the future, when water resources in Texas may be more limited than today.

The TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) has assessed and determined that our water is safe to drink. It also meets all state and federal standards. Your water is currently drawn from a deep water well owned and operated by the District. According to our constant testing, the water is pure and drinkable as it comes from the well, however, for safety and protection due to the transportation of the water through water lines to your house, we add a very low level of chlorine to disinfect it as it is transported and stored.

Water Information

Please contact the district’s water operator to set up new service. Click here to see all your water operator’s service and billing information.

Trash Information

The district’s trash operator has many guidelines you should look into. Click here to see all of your trash operator’s guidelines and pick up information.

Safety Information

NWHCMUD No. 5 has your safety as a top priority, employing 13
constables. Please click here for further information regarding safety in the district.

Tax Information

The district’s tax assessor’s website allows you to find and pay your taxes. Please click here to visit the tax assessor’s website to pay your tax bill.

Parks/Trails Info

Northwest Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 5 urges you to get outside! Click here for information about our district’s trails and parks.