Conroe has extended its development moratorium another 120 days for part of the city as it moves forward with building new water wells and rehabilitating others to address water infrastructure concerns.
In August, the council approved a 120-day moratorium on all new residential and commercial development on the city's north side. The action came as the city faced growing water issues.
The city has experienced unprecedented growth over the past 10 years, said Norm McGuire, assistant city administrator and director of public works. Despite the growth, past city councils failed to prioritize water infrastructure projects, creating "major operational" issues for the city, he said.
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's population has grown to 89,995 from 56,207 in 2010. As of July 2023, the bureau estimates Conroe's population to be 108,248.
Since implementing the moratorium, city officials say they have made progress on addressing their water crisis, including completing Water Well No. 27 in the Conroe Park North Industrial Park, purchasing land for a new water well, and beginning the rebuild of two water wells.
"We have spent countless hours with our team of engineers, both in-house and outsourced engineers, to do a ton of modeling efforts to plan for the future," McGuire said.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, water modeling uses mathematical and computer-based representations to simulate the behavior of water systems to understand and predict how water will behave under different conditions, often used for planning, management, and environmental impact assessments.
McGuire said staff and engineers have identified two options to address the water issues in the northern part of the city: a bypass around Water Well No. 15 and using the well to serve other portions of the area once Water Well No. 29 is complete.
Water Well No. 29 will be online by mid-2025 and Water Well No. 30 by the end of 2025.
The city is also working with Montgomery County Municipal Districts No. 3 and No. 4 to use excess water from its systems.
McGuire said the city has also identified 10 to 12 additional water plants and three critical infrastructure lines needed for the future. He said the goal and reason for the moratorium is to protect the health and safety of the residents.
"That is our ultimate goal and that is what we are going to do," McGuire said.
Mayor Pro Tem Harry Hardman said the planning has been the "most comprehensive" he has seen.
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"It's good news, bad news," Hardman said. "We know what we are going to need through 2040, that's the good news...the bad news is it's a lot of wells and a lot of money."
Hardman said the council is taking the water issue seriously.
"We know that growth is the lifeblood of any city, but like you said, Norman, our first allegiance, our first priority are the citizens that are here," Hardman said.
Councilwoman Marsha Porter, who has served on the council for several terms, said planning ahead is critical.
"We learn from our mistakes and (water) will be on the radar for now on," Porter said.