Reclaimed Water

Reclaimed Water Go Live

Last updated May 27, 2026

After four years of planning and construction, the TNW reclaim water for irrigation system went live September, 2025.

The NHCRWA Reuse Incentive program and a grant from Harris Galveston Subsidence District were major factors in the District’s decision to invest in the system to reduce the District’s use of  treated water for irrigation and to save money in the process.

The system is used to irrigate the majority of common areas within the District for the POA and MUD. Unfortunately, some common area were impossible to reach or too expensive to include in the system. Click on this link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zDSzqGYhGwR7NfV4H-aom2dzIMos7uew/view?usp=drivesdk to view the District map and the areas irrigated with reclaim water.

The District partnered with the BILMA (Spring Creek Oaks) MUD for the source of reclaimed water. Each District paid for the waste treatment plant reclaim irrigation upgrade and the maintenance cost to operate it on a prorated usage basis using five years worth of historical irrigation numbers to calculate each District’s percent of usage. The numbers are tracked and will be reviewed and adjusted annually as needed.

The system is powered and managed by four smart Baseline controllers, similar to golf course controllers, but much more sophisticated than off the shelf controllers you can purchase locally, using AI to create each sections zone run times using weather data, seasonal information, soil conditions, and moisture levels, and monitored remotely by Hines, Inc. from their location in Washington State.

The system is locally managed by the District’s Operator, Brian Gardens in coordination with Hines, Inc.

Each month the District closely monitors the gallons received from BILMA against the gallons used to irrigate each section and calculates the savings and expected credits from the RWA.

The savings achieved each month are included in the District’s monthly email broadcast to the community.

Questions and comments regarding the reclaim system can be emailed to TNW.mud@gmail.com. You will always receive a prompt, honest, and accurate answer.

Your TNW MUD Board of Directors

Reclaimed Water Project

The purpose of this document is to inform residents about the project, the reasons for it, the history behind it, and links to additional information you will find useful and informative regarding reclaimed water in the State of Texas.

 FAQs and Answers Specific to the Terranova West MUD (District) Reclaimed Water Project

  1. Q – What is the purpose of the project?
    A – To reduce the cost of irrigation of parks, street medians, common areas, and green spaces within the District by replacing the use of treated fresh water with reclaimed water.
  2. Q – Is the District doing this project in partnership with anyone else?
    A – The District is partnering with the BILMA MUD.
  3. Q – Why is the District partnering with the BILMA MUD?
    A – The BILMA waste treatment plant is the closest source for converting wastewater to reclaimed water.
  4. Q – How will the project be paid for?
    A – The District and BILMA will split the cost for facilities to convert wastewater to reclaimed water on a prorated share based on reclaimed water used by the District. The cost to lay the lines within each District is the responsibility of each District.
  5. Q – What is the funding source for the District?
    A – The District will not issue bonds or secure a loan for the project. The project will be paid for from the District’s project reserve.
  6. Q – How does the District benefit financially from doing this project?
    A – In two ways, 1., The North Harris County Regional Water Authority (Authority) will reimburse the District for the cost of the project by issuing the District a twenty year, monthly credit for the volume of irrigation water used that, prior to the completion of the project, would have been treated fresh water purchased from the authority and 2., the cost of the reclaimed water will be less than the cost of treated fresh water for irrigation.
  7. Q – Why would the Authority reimburse the District for the cost of the project?
    A – The Authority has a mandate from the State of Texas to reduce water usage by the year 2035. The Subsidence District’s regulations require conversion to alternate water via a 30% reduction of groundwater usage by 2010, 60% by 2025, and 80% by 2035. The greater Houston Galveston area population is projected to grow 66% by 2040.  The Authority sees the use of reclaimed water as a means to help reduce the growing need for treated fresh water.
  8. Q- How will residents know what public spaces within the DIstrict are being irrigated with reclaimed water and when the project goes live?
    A – Signs will be placed at key locations within the District where reclaimed water will be used for irrigation.
    A color coded map will be placed on the District’s website noting these areas.
    By law, purple pipe is used for all piping and connectors used for reclaimed water irrigation.
  9. Q – Will the District give advance notice before the project goes live?
    A – Absolutely! The District will give notice on the District’s website, by post on the POA E bulletin board, and by holding an open house to allow residents to ask questions and gain more knowledge of the project and its benefits.

Listed below are website links to learn more about reclaimed water for irrigation: