Wrenwood Subdivision Gets New Water Utility Operator

HOUSTON–State Representative Dwayne Bohac is pleased to announce that the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) signed an emergency order last Friday allowing the El Campo-based Texas American Water to run operations at the private water system serving the 160-home Wrenwood subdivision in Spring Branch.

Texas American will manage the system for 180 days until a permanent operator can be identified.

“This has been a long fight and now our neighbors can rest easier that they will never again have to worry about reliable, safe drinking water,” Bohac said. “Thanks to the efforts of many residents in the neighborhood, notably Dub Wright, the state was able to come in and remove the current operator and replace him with a responsible utility company that will not abuse the trust of its customers.”

Wrenwood was served by H&J Utility. However, the TCEQ took the drastic action to replace H&J after it was determined that the utility had been abandoned by its owner/operator Vergil Martin.

Several incidences with the water over the years prompted neighbors to seek help from city and state officials because of the utilit’s unreliable service.

“We have a lot of work to do in Texas to ensure that the state doesn’t overbalance the rights of a private company over the rights of water district customers,” Wright said. “We knew whenever we called Dwayne’s office we would find answers.”

“In the 21st Century, in Houston, Texas, taxpayers should not have to worry day-in and day-out about having clean drinking water,” Bohac said. “If H&J thought they would get away with it, their luck ran dry.”

A myriad of state and local officials including Council Member Toni Lawrence were involved in bringing about a successful resolution to the case.

“Although the City of Houston had limited jurisdiction over H&J, the city held hearings which strengthened the actions recently taken by the TCEQ,” Lawrence said. “I want to applaud Representative Bohac’s tenacious defense of the Wrenwood residents before the TCEQ.”