Study: Houston Utility Districts Resilient During Hurricane Harvey

The Association of Water Board Directors – Texas, a statewide educational and advocacy group for utility districts, has released the results of an extensive study of the effects of Hurricane Harvey on more than 960 Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) in the Houston area.

According to the study:

• MUD directors and operators responded quickly to deploy back-up systems and additional pumps powered by generators to keep water and wastewater services operating.
• Less than two dozen MUDs reported damage to district-owned infrastructure and the vast majority of that damage was almost immediately repaired.
• Only 12 MUDs statewide had to issue “boil water notices” in the storm’s aftermath.
• MUD directors and operators responded quickly to deploy back-up systems and additional pumps powered by generators to keep water and wastewater services operating.

The study was conducted by Meyers Research, a national market research and consulting firm specializing in the real estate industry, and Municipal Information Services, a firm specializing in the bond performance of municipal utility districts.