Recent Taste and Odor Inquiries Regarding Drinking Water

The recent changes in taste and odor of the treated surface water being delivered by the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (the “Authority”) to a few districts are believed to be the result of a spike in Geosmin and Methyl-Isoborneol (MIB) which are naturally occurring compounds found in Lake Houston. All recent test results have confirmed that the water being supplied by the City of Houston to the Authority and by the Authority to its customers is indeed safe and meets all State and Federal drinking water requirements.

The Authority purchases treated surface water from the City of Houston’s Northeast Water Purification Plant (the “NEWPP”), the raw water source of which is the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston. Seasonal changes such as temperature and rainfall events can influence Geosmin and MIB levels in the water in Lake Houston. Seasonal changes in the lake can impart variations in taste and odor of the treated surface water. The City of Houston continuously monitors the incoming raw water and the finished water leaving the NEWPP to ensure its compliance with all applicable State and Federal drinking water standards.

The Authority is working with the City of Houston to mitigate the variations in taste and odor to the maximum extent possible. Proper disinfection levels are being monitored and maintained. Flushing, where appropriate, is being done to help alleviate the situation. The Authority is continuing to monitor, sample and test the water coming into our system and throughout our transmission and distribution system to ensure that the drinking water being delivered by the Authority is safe to drink.

Water Outage

Update: Due to storm conditions today, a power surge tripped a protection relay at one of our facilities. We apologize for any inconvenience. Water service has been restored and pressure districtwide should all be back to normal. Thank you.


We are aware of a water outage in Harris County MUD 368, we currently are addressing it and water service and pressure should be restored very shortly. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Notice of Conversion to Chloramine

Harris County MUD 368 will be performing the conversion back to chloramines as its disinfectant in the water supply during the week of January 9th through January 13th.

Please contact the District’s operator, Eagle Water Management, at 281-374-8989 if you have any water quality issues during this time.

Notice of Temporary Disinfectant Conversion from Chloramine to Free Chlorine

The Harris County MUD 368 public water system, (PWS) ID 1011908, will temporarily convert the disinfectant used in the distribution system from chloramine to free chlorine. The conversion will begin on 12/13/2022 and continue through 1/06/2023. During this period, you may experience taste and odor changes associated with this type of temporary disinfectant conversion.

Public water systems are required to properly disinfect their water and maintain an adequate disinfectant residual in the distribution system. Chloramine, free chlorine combined with ammonia, is widely used as a disinfectant because it persists for long periods while also limiting the formation of disinfection by-product contaminants. Prolonged use of chloramine coupled with other factors that can affect water quality, such as high temperatures or stagnation of water, may result in the growth and/or persistence of organic matter within the pipes of the distribution system, which may hinder the ability to maintain an adequate disinfectant residual. A temporary conversion to free chlorine, partnered with flushing activities, helps to rid distribution pipes of this organic matter and improve the quality of your water overall.

Harris County MUD 368 has chosen to implement a temporary disinfectant conversion to free chlorine based on the following:

  • The District has been experiencing multiple issues with odor throughout the system and this process should help eliminate these issues going forward.

If you have questions regarding this matter, you may contact Mike Plunkett, Eagle Water Management at 281-374-8989.