|
What is the San
Jacinto River
Authority
Created by the
Texas Legislature in
1937 (Article
8280-121, as
amended), the San
Jacinto River
Authority (SJRA) is
a government agency
whose mission is to
develop, conserve,
and protect the
water resources of
the San Jacinto
River basin.
Covering all or part
of seven counties,
the organization's
jurisdiction
includes the entire
San Jacinto River
watershed, excluding
Harris County.
The SJRA is one of
10 major river
authorities in the
State of Texas, and
like other river
authorities, its
primary purpose is
to implement
long-term, regional
projects related to
water supply and
wastewater
treatment.
The SJRA
boundaries include
the entire watershed
of the San Jacinto
River and its
tributaries
excluding Harris
County. This
includes all of
Montgomery County
and parts of Walker,
Waller, San Jacinto,
Grimes, and Liberty
Counties. SJRA
serves many
customers in the
Houston area and is
authorized to
operate in East
Harris County
through an agreement
with the City of
Houston, which
allows the SJRA to
operate east of the
San Jacinto River.
 
The SJRA’s general
offices are located
at Lake Conroe.
SJRA has four
separate operating
divisions:
Lake Conroe
Division – Located at the Lake Conroe Dam, seven miles west of the City
of Conroe, the Lake Conroe Division’s primary function is the operation and
maintenance of the dam, spillway structure, and service outlet at Lake Conroe.
In addition, this division handles inspection and enforcement functions related
to on-site sewage systems around Lake Conroe. To maintain the safety of Lake
Conroe for navigation and recreation, and to manage the construction of
permanent structures on the lake, the Lake Conroe Division also administers a
permit program for residential docks, piers, marinas, commercial operations, and
marine sanitation facilities. Lake Conroe was completed by the SJRA in 1973 as
a water supply reservoir through a joint venture with the City of Houston, which
owns two-thirds of the water rights in the reservoir.
Woodlands
Division – Located in southern Montgomery County, the Woodlands Division
provides wholesale water supply and wastewater treatment services to the
100,000-person community of The Woodlands Township. To provide these services,
the SJRA operates three regional wastewater treatment facilities with numerous
pump stations, 40 water wells, several elevated and ground storage tanks, and
miles of collection and distribution lines. The Woodlands Division serves as
the wholesaler to the 12 municipal utility districts that provide retail
services within The Woodlands.
Highlands
Division – Located in East Harris County, the Highlands Division
delivers raw water from Lake Houston through an extensive 35-mile system of
canals and a 1400-acre reservoir for delivery to customers such as Exxon Mobil,
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, and a number of other industrial, municipal,
and agricultural customers pursuant to long-term water supply contracts.
GRP
Division – Located at the Lake Conroe Dam, the Groundwater Reduction
Plan Division is responsible for implementing a countywide groundwater reduction
program that will meet the requirements of the Lone Star Groundwater
Conservation District and ensure reliable long-term water supplies for all of
Montgomery County. The GRP Division will seek to develop a number of
alternative water strategies including conservation, reuse of treated wastewater
effluent, groundwater from the Catahoula Aquifer, and surface water from Lake
Conroe. The surface water strategy will include the design, construction,
operation, maintenance, and administration of a water treatment plant and
transmission lines that will withdraw raw surface water from Lake Conroe, treat
it to meet or exceed drinking water standards, and then transmit it to customer
cities and utilities within Montgomery County.
|
