Terranova West Municipal Utility District

Water Plant shutdown

On Tuesday, May 23rd, the District experienced a water plant shutdown due to a Centerpoint power failure. Normally, when there is a power outage, the water plant’s backup generator automatically kicks on to keep the water plant operating until such time as Centerpoint restores power to the area. Unfortunately, the generator failed to start due to two error codes that the District’s remote monitoring company failed to understand and did not dispatch their field tech to resolve. The good news was the District’s Operator, H2o Innovation, was aware the water plant had shut down and quickly dispatched a tech who opened the interconnect to the BILMA (Spring Creek Oaks) water plant to receive water until power to the plant was restored. No service interruption is acceptable but the District was without water for only a short period of time late in the evening before service was restored. MUD Board members recently met with H2o Innovation personnel to put new safeguards in place to ensure a generator failure of this type does not happen again.

A number of residents posted on Nextdoor asking why TNW didn’t have water. None of those responding knew the correct reason for the water outage. Your first call regarding TNW water/sewer operations, including no water, should be to H2o Innovation, the District’s Operator’s call center. The phone numbers are listed on your monthly water/sewer bill and on the District’s website

NW Harris County Regional Water Authority News

Be aware the NHCRWA is considering changes that will increase their fee on your monthly water/sewer bill. The District, and many other MUDs in our area, are closely watching this development and have expressed opposition to the new proposed fee structure. We’ll keep you advised when any change goes into effect. To learn more, you can monitor the RWA’s website (click here), attend, or Zoom into their monthly board meetings held the 1st Monday of every month starting 6pm at the Authority’s office. The agenda is posted on their website.

Reclaim Irrigation News

The District’s reclaim irrigation system and remote monitoring continues to perform beyond expectations. For the month of May, the system saved the POA $1,760.90 and the MUD $2,932.62.

How does the system save the POA and MUD money? Pretty simple, reclaim irrigation water is exempt from the monthly RWA fee, that accounts for the majority of the savings. To encourage reclaim water use for irrigation, the RWA also gives our District a 1/2 RWA fee credit for the gallons used each month, that accounts for the remainder of the monthly savings. The District tracks our usage every month and calculates the savings to ensure we’re receiving the savings we’re entitled to. The District is achieving the expected return on investment.

As previously reported, The Palms Office Condos has been converted to reclaim water for irrigation. The District sells water for irrigation to the Olde Oaks HOA for the TCJ median south of Cypresswood to the bridge over Cypress Creek. That section will be converted to reclaim water for irrigation in June. Converting these two accounts to reclaim saves them and the District money, and helps the RWA achieve Harris Galveston Subsidence District mandated treated water use reductions.

Questions regarding the District’s reclaim water for irrigation program? Read the “Reclaimed Water” section on the District’s website or send an email to TNW.mud@gmail.com. You will always receive a prompt, honest, and accurate reply.

Park News, Greenspaces, & Reclaim Irrigation Update

Walking the TNW parks and greenspaces is a pleasant, relaxing experience but, did you know it also affords you the opportunity to eat some tasty treats along the way? In the park you can find several Boysenberry trees, a small grove of Pecan trees that produce pecans in the fall if you can beat the squirrels to them, several Peach tree saplings are coming along but won’t produce fruit for several years yet. Close to the park trail near the flag pole you’ll find three Texas variety Fig trees planted this year and already producing fruit that should be ready to pick in the couple months. Plans call for adding a Texas variety Olive tree, our climate is well suited for Olive trees. Last, but not least, thanks to good advice from Mike Atkinson, owner of Atkinson Farms, located on Spring Cypress Rd, Spring, TX, the Blackberry rows in the Terravista detention pond are being replanted and hopefully, will thrive and produce berries for the picking every year for years to come.

Is there something you’d like to see planted in the park or greenspaces? Send your idea by email to TNW.mud@gmail.com and we’ll consider it. It is your park and greenspaces!

June MUD Board Meeting

This month’s meeting has been moved from Thursday June 18th to Tuesday June 23rd.

Monthly Board Meetings

As a Board, we encourage you to attend our monthly meetings to learn what is happening in the District. As a resident, your input is always the first item on the agenda.

Regular monthly meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month, at the clubhouse (unless otherwise stated) and start promptly at 6pm. Agendas are posted on the District website no later than 3 days prior to the meeting.

Are you taking advantage of these FREE resources?

1. “Eye On Water”

“Eye on Water” is a very accurate, FREE and easy to use leak alert system. A high water bill (due to a leak) can be prevented by using this app on your smartphone. It is simple, reliable and notifies you when a leak is detected. Timely leak notifications will be sent via text or email. Eye on Water is a quick way to be alerted that you have a leak.
For an informational video showing the ease of setting up an account and viewing your water consumption data, use this link.

For more information on understanding your water bill, available tools for tracking your usage, and helpful water conversation tips, click here.

2. The District’s Emergency Broadcast Messaging System

In the event of an emergency, the Board wants to keep our residents informed as quickly as possible. The District will broadcast messages to communicate critical events affecting the District’s water/sewer operation to residents in real time. The system is also used to communicate periodic routine updates and information to residents.

It is easy to sign up – just go to our district website, (click here) and fill out the alert message window that appears OR click the “Sign Up for Email Alerts” link in the top right hand corner of the homepage.

Another option is to add, alerts@tnwmud.org and +1 (682) 356-5083 to your email and mobile phone contact lists.

The District does not post on social media!

District Website

The District’s website is a great source of information for everything happening in the District. Check out the District’s website by clicking here. If you don’t find what you are looking for online or have questions about anything in this article, please email the District at tnw.mud@gmail.com. You will always receive a prompt, accurate, and honest reply!

Your Terranova West Board of Directors

Tom Lovell, President, Park/Greenspaces Oversight current term ends 5/2027
Rob Sorensen, Vice President, Water Plant/GenSet Oversight, current term ends 5/2027
Shyanne Meekins, Treasurer/Assistant Secretary, current term ends 5/2029
Nannette Burrage, Secretary, Web Oversight, current term ends 5/2029
George Hatfield, At Large, current term ends 5/2027

Let’s hope it’s a quiet season but it only takes one. Prepare now just in case!

If you have not already done so, the Board urges you to sign up for MUD emergency broadcast text messages by texting TWMUD to 682-356-5083. This is the TNW MUD’s main communication tool for emergency broadcasts. The MUD does not post on social media. Make sure you don’t miss an important emergency broadcast message, sign up now!

Have a whole home or portable generator?  If it’s a whole home, are you running a weekly test cycle?  Make sure the oil & filter have been changed and you have spare oil and filters on hand, check the spark plug, filter, and battery. It’s a good idea to have a service agreement with a qualified generator service company if you’re not comfortable doing these checks on your own. Make sure your generator exhaust vents away from your home!

If yours is a portable generator, when was the last time you ran a test cycle, checked the items above, and have the name of a qualified generator service contractor should you need one? If your generator runs on gas, do you have spare gas cans and a list of service stations to fill them at? Stations run out, you may need to travel to find available gasoline? Never run a portable generator indoors and point the exhaust away from your home.

Do you know where your sewer line cleanout cap is located?  It’s most likely located on an outside wall near your master bath.  In most cases, it’s a white PVC cap roughly 6″ in diameter.  A large wrench or pliers are needed to remove it.  In the unlikely event of a sewer line backup, loosening or temporarily removing the cap may reduce or prevent sewage backup into your home.

All 4 major local news stations include storm trackers on their websites and apps. It’s a good idea to follow one for up to date storm information including evacuation route information.

Consider downloading the Harris County Constables “C4 Now!” app (Android, Apple).

Know where the evacuation routes are by checking local news and the Constables app.

The water plant and Green Elm lift station generators makes it highly unlikely the water plant or lift station will shut down during an emergency.

It’s still a good idea to have bottled water on hand during an emergency. Tubs filled with water and swimming pools can be used to fill your toilets during an emergency.

Make sure you have flashlights, battery operated lanterns, and a supply of batteries on hand for emergencies.

Keep your mobile phone charged. A good mobile phone battery backup is essential anymore. Most newer vehicles have ports you can use to charge your phones.

Having tarps to cover leaks and duct tape for windows on hand is a good idea. Big box and hardware stores sell out quickly on essential storm items.

If you have a gas grill, make sure your tank is full and consider a spare.

The majority of grocery stores and big box stores have standby backup generators but, keep in mind, essentials such as milk, bread, and ice can be hard to find or limited for purchase during an emergency.

Have a neighbor that’s new to the Gulf Coast? Most have no idea what to expect. Share your experiences and tips with them.

Reminder, H2o Innovation, the District’s Operator, manages the District’s water/sewer operation.  H2o Innovation call center numbers can be found on your water/sewer bill and on H2o and District’s websites. It’s a good idea to save them in your mobile phone contact list for quick access. H2o Innovation’s first priority is the District’s water/sewer operation, field staff cannot help you with issues past the District’s water meter or sewer backups on your property.

Emergency and Repairs: (281) 353-9809
Customer Service: (281) 353-9756

Stay safe and check on your neighbors!

Your TNW MUD Board of Directors

Park News, Greenspaces, & Reclaim Irrigation Update

The following is a release from the 2026 annual Texas Water Conference recognizing the Terranova West MUD for the District’s reclaim irrigation project.

While the award is an important recognition for the District, more important is the savings achieved since the reclaimed water irrigation system went live in September, 2025. Through the end of April, the system has saved the TNW POA $ and the TNW MUD $. A very good return to date on the investment.

The Palms office condos made the switch from treated water for irrigation to reclaim water for irrigation effective April 22nd.  Their usage will increase the monthly credit the District receives from the RWA.  The Palms will also benefit as reclaim water for irrigation is exempt from the RWA fee.  A win win for the District and The Palms.

Harris County Flood Control News

By now you’ve seen the orange construction signs on Cypresswood and T C Jester. The following project update is an excerpt from the Flood Control District news release,

The T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin project consists of four compartments designed to increase stormwater storage capacity along Cypress Creek.

The east side of the T.C. Jester Stormwater Detention Basin project includes three compartments (1A, 1B, and 2) across approximately 128 acres along T.C. Jester Boulevard, between Cypresswood Drive and Cypress Creek. Once constructed, the compartments on the east side of the project are expected to provide approximately 1,000 acre-feet of stormwater storage – that’s roughly 1,000 football fields covered in one foot of water.

The west side of the project, located on the west side of T.C. Jester Boulevard, is expected to consist of one large compartment on 44 acres and is anticipated to provide up to 200 acre-feet of stormwater storage.

This project is one of several upcoming stormwater detention basin projects in the Cypress Creek watershed. A regional drainage study for the Cypress Creek watershed found that flooding along tributaries of Cypress Creek is predominantly due to stormwater from Cypress Creek backing up into tributaries, rather than a lack of sufficient stormwater conveyance capacity on the tributaries themselves. Therefore, stormwater detention basins are recommended to help reduce the risk of flooding.

Construction on the east compartments 1A & 2 is estimated to cost $10.2 million and is anticipated to begin in Q4 2026.

Construction on the east compartment 1B is estimated to cost $18.5 million and began in Q1 2026 and is expected to be completed by Q2 2027.

Construction on the west compartment is estimated to cost $11.7 million and is anticipated to begin in Q1 2027.

While this project should help mitigate potential flooding in our area, unfortunately, we’ll see an increase in dump truck traffic on Cypresswood and T C Jester as the excavated dirt is hauled off.

Do you have your “Eye On Water”

When a leak happens, your water usage increases and so can your water bill. By using “Eye on Water” leak alert system, a high water bill can be prevented. The app is easy to use, accurate and notifies you when a leak is detected. Why spend more money on water than you have too.

Timely leak notifications will be sent via text or email. Eye on Water is quick, reliable, user friendly and FREE. For an informational video showing the ease of setting up an account and viewing your water consumption data, use this link.

For more information on understanding your water bill, available tools for tracking your usage, and helpful  water conversation tips, click here.

Monthly Board Meetings

As a Board, we encourage you to attend our monthly meetings to learn what is happening in the District. As a  resident, your input is always the first item on the agenda.

Regular monthly meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month, at the clubhouse (unless otherwise  stated) and start promptly at 6pm. Agendas are posted on the District website no later than 3 days prior to the  meeting.

The District’s Emergency Broadcast Messaging System

In the event of an emergency, the Board wants to keep our residents informed as quickly as possible. The  District will broadcast messages to communicate critical events affecting the District’s water/sewer operation to  residents in real time. The system is also used to communicate periodic routine updates and information to  residents.

You can sign up quickly by going to our district website, (click here) and filling out the alert message window  that appears OR by clicking the “Sign Up for Email Alerts” link in the top right hand corner of the homepage.

Another option is to add, alerts@tnwmud.org and +1 (682) 356-5083 to your email and mobile phone contact  lists.

The District does not post on social media!

District Website

The District’s website is a great source of information for everything happening in the District. Check out the  District’s website by clicking here. If you don’t find what you are looking for online or have questions about  anything in this article, please email the District at tnw.mud@gmail.com. You will always receive a prompt,  accurate, and honest reply!

Your Terranova West Board of Directors

Tom Lovell, President, Park/Greenspaces Oversight current term ends 5/2027

Rob Sorensen, Vice President, Water Plant/GenSet Oversight, current term ends 5/2027

Shyanne Meekins, Treasurer/Assistant Secretary, current term ends 5/2029

Nannette Burrage, Secretary, Web Oversight, current term ends 5/2029

George Hatfield, At Large, current term ends 5/2027