Conroe staff recommend starting process for temporary citywide development moratorium as water capacity data shows regulatory shortfall

City staff told the Conroe City Council on May 7 that Conroe’s water system is operating beyond the planning margin required under state rules and recommended the council authorize staff to begin the formal process to adopt a temporary citywide development moratorium.

Public works director Norman McGuire presented modeling and operations data showing Conroe’s system production and planning counts exceed the state’s planning threshold. Assistant director Jason Miller and engineering manager Brandy Taylor walked the council through the regulatory baseline—what staff described as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rule that ties allowable connections to capacity—and how current connection counts and available production compare to that standard. Taylor said third‑party verification of the city’s capacity numbers arrived the night before the workshop and corroborated staff’s findings.

Why it matters: staff said the city is subject to TCEQ capacity rules that require action when a system reaches 85% of its available water capacity under the commission’s criteria. McGuire and Taylor said Conroe’s present connection counts and production put the city over that limit. Staff warned continuing to grow without adding source water would risk regulatory enforcement and potential service impacts at peak demand.

What staff proposed and the next steps: staff recommended the council authorize them to start the moratorium ordinance process, which would trigger public hearings and, if adopted, a temporary moratorium…