Welcome to the website for the Surface Water Supply Project, which will provide surface water to the West Harris County Regional Water Authority and North Fort Bend Water Authority.

About the Surface Water Supply Project

The Greater Houston metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. From 2000 to 2030, our metropolitan area is projected to rank fifth in the nation in population growth – bringing the current population of 6.5 million to greater than 9.2 million residents. This population growth presents an urgent need to maintain and expand public infrastructure, including roadways, water supply, sewer, and other utilities.

To meet water demands for 2025 and beyond and to meet the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District and Fort Bend Subsidence District’s groundwater reduction requirements, the West Harris County Regionaldistrict created by the Texas Legislature in 1975 for the purpose of reducing land subsidence. In general, the HGSD requires all water suppliers in Harris and Galveston counties to reduce groundwater pumping based on the rate of subsidence in their area. Areas 1 and 2 are already required to and primarily use surface water. Area 3 is mandated to convert to 80 percent surface water supply by 2035. Most of the City of Houston has already converted from groundwater to surface water. Now, surrounding areas must follow suit in meeting these regulatory mandates.

The WHCRWA provides service to a large portion of Area 3, which is still largely dependent on groundwater. To comply with the conversion requirements of the HGSD, the WHCRWA is delivering the Surface Water Supply Project.