The Sugar Land Business Park (Business Park) owns a small groundwater well that supplies water to an amenity lake located on Airport Blvd. The well was exempt from groundwater reduction requirements prior to the 2015 Amendment to the Fort Bend Subsidence District (FBSD) Rules. FBSD Rules require the Business Park reduce groundwater pumpage or join a Groundwater Reduction Plan. To become compliant, the Business Park requested to join the Sugar Land Groundwater Reduction Plan along with the other 17 entities participating in the City’s GRP.  On June 14, 2017, Business Park Directors approved the terms of the GRP Agreement. The GRP Agreement‘s effective date is June 14, 2017.

The City of Sugar Land's GRP is designed to serve as the alternative water source for all entities within the current City Limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The Business Park is within the current City of Sugar Land City Limits.  

The FBSD Regulatory Plan requires Groundwater permit holders to limit their groundwater withdrawals to seventy percent of their total water demand by 2014 and forty percent by 2025. A Groundwater Reduction Plan showing how groundwater conversion goals will be accomplished must be submitted by each Groundwater permit holder to the Subsidence District. The City has developed a Groundwater Reduction Plan (GRP) that meets the Regulatory Plan requirements.  Included in the City’s GRP are other groundwater well owners in the City and City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The GRP is compromised of 17 participants, totaling 77 wells. All GRP members have entered into a GRP Participant Agreement with the City, which is fundamentally the same for all members.

The City’s GRP contract terms is summarized below.

Groundwater Reduction Plan Participation Agreement Summary

• The City will include the Participant and their pumpage in the City’s GRP
• The Participant will provide the GRP with estimated water demands through 2030
• The Participant will adopt and follow the City’s Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan
• The Participant must comply with the City’s ordinance for additional or replacement wells

Mandatory Conversion:

•     The City, as the GRP Administrator, retains sole decision-making ability for all conversion decisions but will notify the participant 6 months prior to any conversion

•     The GRP will receive all conversion credits for the benefit of all participants

•     The Surface Water Fund will pay for all conversion infrastructures

•     If converted, the GRP will pay all costs associated with conversion and operations of the system

•     The GRP will use its best efforts to supply a volume of non-groundwater to maintain lake levels to an acceptable level.

Voluntary Conversion:

•     The participant may complete a voluntary conversion project at its expense, but the GRP will receive all conversion credits for the benefit of all Participants

•     Upon request of the Participant, the GRP administrator may purchase the voluntary conversion project

Pumpage Fee:

•     Beginning on June 14, 2017, the Participant will pay the GRP Administrator the Pumpage Fee for all Water, except Water received by the Participant from another GRP Participant or the City

•     The Fee is established by ordinance and is currently $1.75 per 1,000 gallons

•     All out-of-City Participants will pay a 20% Out-of-City Service Charge

•     Fees collected will be deposited into the City owned and managed Surface Water Fund

Metering and Billing:

•     The City will read GRP related meter each month and prepare a report of the Participant’s total water use for the previous month. The GRP Administrator will send a statement of charges to the Participant showing the calculation of monthly charges which will be calculated per the City’s ordinance

•     The Participants will test the meters at least once every 12 months and will notify the other party at least 48 hours in advance. The other party may be present and witness any test performed

•     If a test shows that the meter is inaccurate, according to the AWWA standards, billing adjustments may be made for a period of time extending back to the time when the inaccuracy began, if ascertainable; and if not ascertainable, for a period extending back to the last test date of the Measuring Equipment or 60 days, whichever is shorter

Term:

• The agreement is in effect for as long as the FBSD Regulatory Plan is in effect
• The agreement may be terminated by written mutual agreement

The Public Works Department recommends approval of the Groundwater Reduction Plan Participation Agreement between the City of Sugar Land and Sugar Land Business Park Association, Inc.