Quadvest Holds San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) Accountable on Increased Water Rates

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX - The San Jacinto River Authority (“SJRA”) has again increased water rates in Montgomery County and the reason given is “uncertainty” in regulation. No other water provider in Montgomery County has increased water rates due to uncertainty. Uncertainty doesn’t increase chlorine cost, electrical cost, labor cost etc. Quadvest cannot sit idly by while SJRA’s abuses continue.

Although the water contracts between SJRA and water providers in Montgomery County are being litigated in court, and even though the rules supporting these contracts have been ruled to be invalid, Quadvest reluctantly adheres to these illegal contracts until a court can overturn them. Quadvest expects SJRA to do the same.

SJRA’s latest water rate increase comes with an admission of guilt. For years, SJRA’s rate differential between surface water and groundwater pumpage fees has been $.19 per/1,000 gallons. SJRA’s new proposal is for the rate differential to be $.42 per/1,000 gallons. The new fees, effective September 1st, 2019 are $2.73 per/1,000 gallons for groundwater, and $3.15 per/1,000 gallons for surface water.

Quadvest believes the rate differential should be in excess of $1 per/1000 gallons and SJRA should refund all Montgomery County groundwater users for the overcharges immediately. After multiple requests to SJRA to comply with the contracts were ignored, Quadvest has been forced to file suit against SJRA to recover overcharges and refund them back to its customers.

We appreciate your continued support while Quadvest and others continue to hold SJRA accountable for their self-dealing actions.