Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Whitehouse highlights holiday outreach, warns customers of mandated water-service-line notices
Loading...
Summary
City officials said Project Joy served more than 250 families and 700 children and that most utility customers will receive two notices about uncertain water-service-line materials after a state/federal reporting change. The city said water met standards but staff missed a filing deadline with TCEQ.
The City of Whitehouse told residents Dec. 16 that a holiday outreach effort served hundreds of households but that many customers will soon receive notices about uncertain water-service-line materials required by state and federal rules.
At the council’s community-interest report, Mrs. Black said Project Joy served more than 250 families and over 700 children, with roughly 26 staff volunteers and about 12,000 pounds of donated food. "Ashley Westerfield took on the brunt of organizing all the things and did an amazing job," Mrs. Black said, thanking volunteers and partner groups including school fundraisers that added roughly $8,000–$9,000 to the effort.
The report also detailed a mandated customer-notification process related to water-service lines. "We failed to timely report our water quality with the state of Texas," Mrs. Black said, adding that the water itself met all state standards but that the city did not file the required paperwork with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on time. She said the EPA is now requiring public utilities to notify customers if the material of the service line from meter to home is unknown; because many entries in the city’s database list the material as "unknown," most customers will receive a notice. "We will work between now and June, the next reporting time frame, to further define that," she added, and staff will publish an FAQ page on the city website.
City staff advised that homes built after 1988 are unlikely to contain lead service lines, while older homes may require on-site inspection. Mrs. Black said cost and liability for digging to verify pipe material remain with homeowners and are not reimbursed under the federal requirement.
Other administrative updates included a brief fiscal note that the city finished fiscal year 2024–25 having drawn about $137,000 from fund balance, and that the public works department is conducting a water-meter audit to confirm meters are billed to correct accounts.
The city also reminded residents that City Hall will be closed for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and that those holidays will affect solid-waste collections.
Council members asked staff to prepare clearer public-facing language for the notice and to add context in the weekly newsletter so customers understand why they are receiving the messages. Staff said it will update the database where property construction years are known to reduce unnecessary notices.
The council moved on to other agenda items after the community-interest report; staff said any questions about the fiscal statement could be raised with finance staff.
