The Administration & Regulatory Affairs Department (ARA) recommends that City Council adopt an ordinance suspending for ninety days the effective date of the new rates, as proposed by the Statement of Intent to Change Rates and Tariffs filed by Aqua Texas, Inc., (Aqua Texas), and maintaining current rates in effect.
Aqua Texas is an investor-owned water and wastewater utility (IOU) with exclusive authority to provide water and sewer services to Houston customers within its certificated service areas as granted under Water Certificate of Convenience (CCN) No. 13203 and Sewer CCN No. 21065.
Aqua Texas serves approximately 46 water customers located in Kingwood’s Oak Manor subdivision (Council District E) and 59 sewer customers located in West by Northwest Park/Brittmoore (Council District A).
The City of Houston exercises original jurisdiction over Aqua Texas’ rates for customers within city limits under §13.042 of the Texas Water Code.
On June 20, 2025, Aqua Texas filed a Statement of Intent to Change Rates and Tariffs. The request includes a proposal to consolidate all Aqua Texas’ 377 water systems into a single water tariff and 66 sewer systems into a single sewer tariff. Aqua Texas filed a similar request with the PUC for customers across its entire service territory in Texas. After preliminary review of the application, ARA rejected the application for deficiencies and notified Aqua Texas on July 11, 2025. Aqua Texas responded to the deficiency notice on July 28 with responsive information and a new proposed effective date of September 2, 2025. ARA accepted Aqua Texas’s application with the newly proposed effective date.
Aqua Texas’ request will take effect September 2, 2025, unless City Council adopts an ordinance suspending the proposed effective date for 90 days to December 1, 2025. A rate expert will be engaged to assist with the review and to prepare a final recommendation.
ARA recommends that City Council approve an ordinance suspending for ninety (90) days the implementation of the Statement of Intent to Change Rates and Tariffs filed by Aqua Texas, Inc., Aqua Utilities, Inc. and Aqua Development, Inc. d/b/a Aqua Texas (Aqua Texas).
Departmental Approval Authority:
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Tina Paez, Director Other Authorization
Administration & Regulatory
Affairs Department