Water Resources

Houston Public Works Water Resource team manages Houston Water contracts, regulatory support and the review of water district creations & annexations. 

Contracts 

Under City Code, Houston Water offers contracts for the sale of untreated water for industrial, municipal, or agricultural use.

Apply for a New Untreated Water Contract 

1.  Complete the Untreated Water Application 
2. Submit the application to watercontracts@houstontx.gov  

Once the application is submitted, a confirmation & tracking number will be emailed. 

In reviewing the application, Houston Water will consider: 

• contract quantity requested 
• historical demand 
• existing raw water system capacity  
• issues with existing connections 

   3. If the application is approved, a proposed contract will be emailed for signature. Return the signed contract to watercontracts@houstontx.gov with “Signed Contract” in the subject, along with the tracking number.   

An electronic copy of the final signed contract will be emailed. 

Airport Letters 

If any part of the proposed land falls within a City of Houston airport height hazard restriction, a letter detailing the limited building height and the applicable tier designation will be mailed to the listed attorney. Please refer to the Airport Compatible Land Use Ordinance associated with runways at Intercontinental Airport-Houston. 

Certified Copies of Ordinances 

The Office of the City Secretary will distribute certified copies of the ordinances that have passed council. Please allow 1-2 weeks from the date the request passed council. 

City MUD Bond 

The following documents are required for the City to review and approve a Bond Sale for In-City MUDs  

• letter to the Director of Houston Public Works requesting approval of a Bond Sale 
• TCEQ’s Draft Order Authorizing the Issuance of Bonds 
• Draft Preliminary Official Statement & Notice of Sale 
• Draft Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of Bonds 
• Certificate provided by Harris County Appraisal District 

In accordance with the Utility Functions and Services Allocations Agreement, the District must provide the Director with the Official Statement and Bond Resolution before the closing of the sale. 

Utility District Review 

NEW PAPERLESS AND ONLINE PAYMENT PROCESSING PROCEDURES!

Effective April 19th, 2021, hard copy water district consent packages will no longer be accepted.  We are pleased to announce that the submittal of applications and payment of fees will now be electronic.  Please see instructions on how to submit Water District Consent Applications and pay application fees below.

Also, effective April 19th, 2021, the 2021 Water District Consent Application Form that has been updated to reflect this new process and must be used.

1. Complete the Water District Consent Application (WDCA).
2. Submit the application and all supporting documentation to mudreview@houstontx.gov. Submittal of hard copy application package is no longer needed. Houston Water will only accept electronic copies sent to the MUD Review Inbox.

Once the application package is submitted via email, a sales order will be created for the applicable fee associated with the WDCA and will be emailed back to the applicant (person who submitted the application online) for payment to be made.

3. The applicant will need to register a user on the City of Houston’s online iPermits portal to process the payment for the WDCA, using the Shopping Cart # that is on the sales order that was previously emailed.  Instructions on how to create a user on the iPermits portal can be found under the “Download” files

Payments are made through JP Morgan Chase and not the City of Houston. On the JP Morgan Chase site, payments can be made by echeck or by credit card. Once the payment is made, the applicant will receive an emailed receipt which will also be available on the iPermits account.

4. The applicant will need to email a copy of the payment receipt to mudreview@houstontx.gov so that Houston Water may begin reviewing the WDCA application.

Resources