Because of the many changes in and around our community, the Champions Municipal Utility District (the “District”) Board of Directors (the “Board”) would like to issue a brief recap of what is “going on”. The last report was issued in 2022.
Waterline Replacement Project
This project will replace the 50+ year old water lines, valves and fire hydrants in Champions West, North, Northwest, South, and East subdivisions as well as Champions Forest Drive and eliminate any dead-end lines in the cul-de-sac areas. This project should improve water quality and water pressure within the subdivision as well as provide financial savings to the District through decreased repair costs and improved water accountability. The previously voted and issued Bond funds have been allocated for the project with the project currently under construction. The status of the waterline replacement project is as follows:
Champions West – Complete
Champions Forest Drive – Complete
Champions North – Under Construction, Anticipate Completion - Mid February 2024
Champions Northwest – Under Construction, Anticipate Completion – Mid February 2024
Champions South – Under Construction, Anticipate Completion -Mid May 2024
Champions East – Under Construction, Anticipate Completion – End of July 2024
We understand that construction in the neighborhood is inconvenient and appreciate everyone’s patience as we look forward to completing this project for the benefit of the community. The contractors are required to return the property to the same or better condition at the end of the project. If you encounter any issues with the project or contractor, please do not hesitate to reach out to us through the contact form on the District website.
Direct Surface Water Connection
The District currently purchases and receives surface water from the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (“NHCRWA”) through Harris County WCID 116’s (“WCID 116” or “Huntwick Forest”) water facilities. This reliance on WCID 116 can potentially cause water quality and dependability issues. At times, the District has been unable to receive NHCRWA surface water due to issues with WCID 116’s facilities. To resolve this issue, the District and NHCRWA partnered together for the construction of the direct connection from the NHCRWA facilities to the District’s water plant on Champions Forest Drive. This project will eliminate the District’s dependability and reliance on WCID 116 for surface water. The NHCRWA has finalized engineering plans and awarded a bid to the contractor with the project anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024. This project will not involve construction through any of the subdivisions within the District. Currently, this project is estimated to cost approximately $2.1 million. The District and NHCRWA will split the cost 50-50 with the District reimbursing the NHCRWA for its share of the cost in semi-annual payments over 25 years.
Reclaimed Water Project
Prior to moving the District wastewater treatment to the Kleinwood Joint Powers Board (“KJPB”) sewer treatment plant, Champions Golf Club (the “Golf Club”) irrigated its golf course with a mix of reclaimed water and private, on-site water wells. The District and Champions Golf Club (the “Golf Club”) partnered in 2018 on a reclaimed water project for capacity of over 1 million gallons per day of reclaimed water to the District and Golf Club from the KJPB regional sewer treatment plant with the Golf Club providing significant funding for this project. The District started providing reclaimed water to the Golf Club in July 2022 and provided over 100 million gallons of reclaimed water to the Golf Club during a 12-month period. The District started using reclaimed water to irrigate the esplanades on Champions Forest Drive and the new landscaping on Champions Drive in July 2023. Reclaimed water is significantly cheaper than potable water because the NHCRWA does not charge fees for the production of reclaimed water and allows for irrigation to continue during times drought. This project provides significant savings to the District and ultimately the residents by lowering the District’s cost to maintain the public areas within the District. Additionally, the District receives financing assistance for the project from the NHCRWA based on the amount of reclaimed water usage up to the District’s cost of the project.
Water Well #2 Rehabilitation Project
The District completed an extensive rehabilitation of water well #2 as well as added an emergency natural gas generator to the water well #2 site in order to ensure that water well #2 will be operable when needed. Water well #2 draws water from the Chicot Aquifer, which does not cause the water quality issues that the Jasper Aquifer water causes.
Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project
Over the last five years, and especially since COVID-19, construction pricing has skyrocketed with certain material costs more than doubling. As a result, the cost of the waterline replacement project was significantly more than anticipated during the 2015 Bond Election, and the District does not have enough voter approved bond authority to accomplish all of the projects it had planned for in the 2015 Bond Election, such as some of the sanitary sewer rehabilitation. The District has sold all $25 million of the voter authorized tax bonds and any addition tax bond authorization will require a bond election. The Board is currently working with its Engineer and Financial Advisor on updated costs, schedules, and financing options and remains committed to completing the sanitary sewer rehabilitation project.
Security
The Board has been exploring the possibility of taking on the responsibility of providing security for the entirety of the District through a contract with the Sherriff’s Office or Constable’s Office or by partnering with a neighboring water district for a joint security contract. Partnering with a neighboring district would limit the number of neighborhood entrances and exits that will need to be monitored by the officers and ideally improve coverage. The Board intends to contact all the homeowner’s associations within the District to discuss security if some of the logistical issues with Champions Community Improvement Association are resolved.
Smart Water Meter Program
With the rising cost of water, the Board has implemented a smart meter program which should not only improve water accountability, but will also allow every customer to track and receive alerts regarding water usage and leaks which are useful with today’s significantly higher-cost water, primarily due to the fees from the NHCRWA. Remember to register for Eye-On Water to track your water usage daily and set up alerts for potential water leaks through the District’s website by clicking the link below.
Emergency Alert System
The District has created a FREE Emergency Alert System, which provides instant notifications with important details, explanations, and instructions about natural disasters or other emergencies. The District may also use this system to announce area construction projects and special events. Residents can sign up for this system on the Champions MUD website – championswater.com/alerts. Also, go to our website (www.championswater.com) to see the Water Authority newsletter, find out more about your water meter and download the smart meter app, sign up for emergency water alerts, and see what’s going on NextDoor!
Resiliency and Self-Sufficiency
The Champions area has experienced a variety of extreme weather conditions over the last decade (Hurricane Harvey, floods, droughts, freezes) that have impacted District operations. The Board has placed a focus on resiliency and self-sufficiency to minimize interruptions of service, especially in times of need. To that end, the District has undertaken several projects to increase the District’s resiliency and self-sufficiency, including placing a backup generator at the off-site water well, placing a backup generator at the water plant site, upgrading the water well communication equipment, improving the sanitary sewer lift station to better withstand floods by raising the elevation of electrical components and converting the lift station pumps to pumps that can operate if submerged in water, and working with the NHCRWA on a direct connection for surface water.
...and so, what else is going on?
The Board is continuing to implement the projects financed with the Bond Program and is continuing the long process of inspection and repairs to our aging systems. Feel free to contact the District or its Board Members through the District website. The Board Members and Officers of the District are:
Scott B. Chenoweth - President
Bob Pryor - Vice President
Jeff Kanaly - Vice President
Jim Pugliese - Secretary
Tom Hargrove - Assistant Secretary/Treasurer
The District maintains the landscaping on Champions Drive and the Champions Forest Drive esplanades by providing irrigation and replacing dead trees, flowers or grass. The Board would like to thank Barbara Schlattman for assisting the Board in coordinating with the District’s landscapers for maintenance of the public areas within the District.