LILLY GROVE SPECIAL UTILITY DISTRICT
Dba LILLY GROVE WATER SUPPLY
7435 FM 1638, NACOGDOCHES, TX 75964
PHONE: 936-569-9292 FAX: 936-569-9781
EMAIL: LGWATER@GMAIL.COM
WEBSITE: LILLYGROVEWATER.COM

PWS (Public Water System #) 1740014

 

JUNE 2011

ANNUAL NEWSLETTER

AND

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT

FOR 2010

 Enclosed is our Consumer Confidence Report for 2010. This report is our opportunity to inform you of the quality of the water we provide. If you have any questions or need additional information about our water or system, please call or visit our business office on FM 1638.

WATER QUALITY.

Our water meets or exceeds all Federal drinking water standards. We have had problems the past four years with the oil and gas drilling activities in our area. When a gas well is drilled and a hydraulic fracturing (FARCING) procedure is done, it creates fractures and fissures in the earth's surface and stirs up the aquifers from which we obtain our water which causes coloring problems with our drinking water. This does not pose any health risks as the water is still pure and safe, but the color will not filter out and we end up having to deliver water that has a color that is objectionable to you and us.  This has affected three of our wells on the East end of the system and on many days you will see a slight yellow or gray color in the water resulting from this problem. Unfortunately, there is not a satisfactory solution to this. The amount of color varies from day to day and can change from yellow to yellow-green to gray. We monitor the water from all of the wells daily and try to pull the affected wells off line when the color is excessive and we can afford the production loss for that day. Unfortunately, some days the color is excessive and we need to pump it anyway to meet our needs.  This results in everyone on the system getting off-color water for a few days. Our operator works daily to keep this color to a minimum.
 

BILL PAYING:  Bills should be paid at Bancorp South.  Bills can be paid either in person or mailed in.  The address to mail bills is P.O. Box 630887, Nacogdoches, TX  75963. Other banks that accept payments are Commercial. PLEASE do not come by the business office to pay your bill. We do not keep cash or change at the office.  Your co-operation is greatly appreciated.
 

PAY BY DRAFT. We have an easier means of paying your water bill than mailing a check or going to the bank. Paying by bank draft is the answer. We send you a bill as usual, and then our computer makes up a bank draft for the amount of your bill and we deposit it around the twelfth of the month. It's easy, convenient, and secure. Just call or stop by the office and sign a form and we do the rest. It's safe, it's convenient, and it's just one less task you have to do. And the best part is it costs you nothing and you will never get a late charge again. Call us if you need more information. All of your banking information used in bank drafts remains in our office and is given to no one. We do not sell or share our mailing list with anyone.                         

BUSINESS OFFICE PROCEDURE. Our office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9 until 5. Our office telephone is 569-9292. If you have water emergency that needs our system operators, Ricky Allen at 652-3814 he will return your call. We mail our water bills the last day of each month and you should receive them by the third of each month. Bills are due by the fifteenth of the month, and payments received after the fifteenth will be assessed a late charge.

BLUE FLAGS. The blue flags we have placed by your water meter are there to make the meter easier to find by our new operator. Please leave them in place until he learns the system. Also make sure and have your 911 address posted somewhere on the front of your property. Our system covers 60 square miles and your property can be very difficult to find without an address number showing from the road.

PAST DUE BILL POLICY. Due to a continuing problem with excessive past due bills, we have had to institute new policies for dealing with bills a month or more over due. Effective immediately all accounts with two months or more in balances will be subject to immediate meter cut off and lock out. The first cut off will be billed at $25.00, the second time will cost $50.00, and the future cut offs will cost $75.00. These costs are justified by the excess amount of time and gasoline used by our operators in cutting meters off and on. Please pay your bills in the months they are due and you will not incur this expense. PLEASE NOTE, if we turn your meter off and lock it and you break the meter trying to get the lock off you will be required to pay for the broken parts, which are $50 or more. All instances of meter tampering will be reported to the lawful authorities for criminal prosecution.

WATER RATES.  The water rates on our system remained unchanged for 23 years with no increases from 1983 to 2006. This was a record we were very proud of, but increasing costs to operate the system, inflation, and the cost of repairs caused by a system rapidly showing its 45 years of age finally is forcing your Directors to adjust rates to keep our system in good repair and financially strong.  The past three years, our gasoline bill has almost tripled; our electric bills have increased dramatically, repair parts, a major item in our budget, and have increased 35% and the price of PVC pipe and fittings increase monthly. Just the repair parts needed to repair a leak in an eight inch water main recently cost us $1500. 

Lilly Grove SUD is a non-profit Governmental entity, and as such is prohibited from making a profit. But, your Directors are charged with the responsibility of setting our rates at a level high enough to operate the system and maintain sufficient reserves to cover foreseen and unforeseen emergencies. Your Directors strive to maintain the system in perfect operating condition while keeping your water rates as low as possible. The rates currently are $18.00 per month minimum plus $3.75 per thousand gallons used.

EXCESSIVE WATER PRESSURE. Since we installed the new elevated tanks a couple of years ago we have some areas with excessive water pressure. Most of these areas are in the lower elevations of the system. If you feel you have excessive water pressure, call the office and we will send an operator out to check it. If your pressure is too high, (over 65 pounds) we will furnish you with a pressure regulator and the fittings to install it. You will be responsible for the labor of installation. These regulators are adjustable so you can set your house pressure to your liking.

Sixty five to seventy five pounds is the maximum we like to put into anyone’s home and if yours is higher than this we urge you to install a pressure regulator. Our system pressure is set to give everyone at least 40 pounds of pressure, and it cannot be lowered.

POWER OUTAGES When there is an outage many people start to fill up bath tubs, sinks and any other container they can find.  Our overhead tanks hold 100,000 gallons of water, this amount will last 24 hours with normal use. Please do not fill every container so that all customers may have water.  We are in the process of installing generators at all the wells, so we will not run out of water during power outages.  Your co-operation is greatly appreciated in this matter. 

WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE :

This past year, several new homes were built in the area. We have to look ahead for the amount of water that is necessary per household. We drilled two test holes and did not find good quality of water. Our Martin Road well is a large producer of water, but the color of the water is yellow from the iron. After analyzing the cost of new test holes and new wells, the directors decided to look for solutions to the color and order of the water. After months of research they decided to go with an Ozone Treatment System. This system will help reduce the color and order from the water, in doing so the Martin Road Plant produce (300+GPM) to insure we will have enough water to keep up the growth of the area. The cost of this system is $500,000. As you know, a new charge of $5.00 was added to the bills to help out with the cost.  By adding the $5.00 we will be we will be able to pay for a portion of the system and reduce the amount of money we have to borrow. Our engineers have submitted the project to TCEQ for approval. We have already secured financing with BanCorp South. As soon as the loan is paid off the $5.00 will be taken off the bills. If you would like to know more about the Ozone System, Please go to our web site at www.lillygrovewater.com

OUTDOOR WATER CONSERVATION TIPS:
With the hot weather here we will be heading outside again to water our lawns and plants. Here are a few things that help keep the lawns and plants going and CONSERVE water.

One inch of water per week in the summer will keep most Texas grasses healthy. To determine how long you should run your sprinklers, place straight-edged cans at different distances away from the sprinkler and time how long it takes to fill an average of 1 inch of water in each can.

Don't abuse the benefits of an automatic sprinkler system by over-watering. Set it to provide thorough but infrequent watering. Check sprinkler heads regularly to make sure they are working properly.  Install rain shutoff devices and adjust sprinklers to eliminate coverage on pavement.

Buy a rain barrel or a cistern and collect the water from your gutters to water your plants.

Keep grass 3 inches tall during the summer and don't cut more than one-third of its length at one time. Don't scalp lawns when mowing during hot weather.  Taller grass holds moisture better. Leave lawn clipping on the lawn.

PLEASE WATER DURING OFF PEAK HOURS -

Enforcements and Complaints
No Pending Enforcements
No Outstanding Complaints
In 2010 Lilly Grove had two complaints - Yellow Water - TCEQ did not issue any violations. When the system starts having problems - yellow water - breaks etc, we always inform TCEQ, that way they will be aware of the problem, before complaints are filed.

Donna Harris
Manager