The plan to reduce Montgomery County’s use of its shrinking ground water supply – a plan 14 years in the making – is set to come to fruition this week, as the San Jacinto River Authority begins pumping surface water from Lake Conroe to The Woodlands and parts of the county. Over the past few years, the SJRA has gradually boosted the water pumpage rate to help offset the costs of the Groundwater Reduction Plan, a nearly half-billion dollar project to construct and operate a water treatment plant on Lake Conroe, a pumping station and more than 50 miles of water pipeline installation. While some residents were shocked by high water bills in the mail this month, Ronda Trow, public relations manager for the SJRA, attributed the rise in costs to a spike in water usage during August’s drought conditions, as the higher pumpage fees didn’t kick in until Sept. 1 and the SJRA has yet to implement the surface water fees.

Source: Shift to Lake Conroe surface water set for fall in Woodlands – Houston Chronicle