Author: CCMUD

As a resident of the Caney Creek Municipal Utility District (MUD), it’s important to stay informed about potential changes that may impact your property taxes. On September 11, 2024, at 9:30 AM, the Caney Creek MUD will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed tax rate for the 2024 tax year. The meeting will take place at 20305 FM 457, Sargent, Texas 77414.

What You Need to Know About the Proposed Tax Rate

The proposed tax rate for 2024 is set at $0.42422 per $100 of property value, which is a slight decrease from last year’s rate of $0.43690 per $100. This represents a 2.90% reduction in the tax rate. However, due to an increase in the average appraised value of homes within the district—from $303,372 last year to $344,368 this year—the actual taxes paid on an average residence homestead may increase.

Here’s a breakdown of the key figures:

• Last Year’s Tax Rate: $0.43690 per $100
• This Year’s Proposed Tax Rate: $0.42422 per $100
• Percentage Change in Tax Rate: -2.90%
• Average Residence Homestead Value Last Year: $303,372
• Average Residence Homestead Value This Year: $344,368
• Tax on Average Residence Last Year: $800.25
• Tax on Average Residence This Year (Proposed): $864.26
• Annual Increase in Taxes on an Average Residence: $64.01 (8.00%)

These changes highlight the importance of understanding not just the tax rate itself, but also how fluctuations in property values can affect your overall tax burden.

What Does This Mean for You?

Your individual taxes may increase, decrease, or stay the same depending on the specific changes in your property’s value compared to other properties in the district. The distribution of the tax burden among property owners is determined by these changes in taxable value.

If the proposed tax rate results in an increase of more than 8% in taxes on the average residence homestead, qualified voters in the district have the right to petition for an election to reduce the tax rate to a voter-approved level. This is in line with changes introduced by the 86th Texas Legislature, which aims to limit the growth of property taxes across the state.

Stay Informed

For more information about your property taxes, including proposed tax rates and details about the public hearing, visit the Texas property tax database at Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes.

Attending the public hearing or reviewing the details on the Texas government website will help you stay informed and engaged with the decisions that affect your taxes. It’s essential to understand how these changes might impact you and what options are available if you wish to contest the proposed rate.

The Caney Creek MUD encourages all residents to participate in this process to ensure that their voices are heard.

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For further details, please refer to the official Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate issued by the Caney Creek MUD.

Water System Update:

The well plants are pumping at average levels. Grab samples were successfully collected on 07-30-2024 at all monitoring stations and delivered to the TCEQ-approved public lab for analysis. All bacteriological samples passed negative on 07-31-2024.

• Boil Water Notice Official Dates:
  • CCMUD: 07-08 thru 07-31-2024
  • Matagorda WCID #2: 07-10 thru 07-31-2024

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Sewer Collection Update:

Unfortunately, the recent heavy rains and high tide flooding have overwhelmed the vacuum sewer mains. The flooding is intruding from sewer line breaks caused by damage from Hurricane Beryl, disrupting sewer service for many properties. The large number of properties with unrepaired sewer lines is affecting all upstream connections. We are actively draining each street’s vacuum lines to restore service.

The process has been significantly slowed by the heavy rains and extreme high tide flooding, impacting the entire district.

• Current Status:
  • Most of the district’s vacuum mains have been drained and service restored.
  • Sections 14 and 15 (dirt roads off of Marlin), Heron, and Hwy 457 areas are experiencing slow to no service due to ongoing water intrusion.
  • The slow drainage continues to affect areas outside these sections until intrusions are resolved.
  • We aim to restore most, if not all, sewage collection by Friday, pending weather and flooding conditions.

Important Notice for Property Owners:
Property owners with damaged properties should cap or repair sewer pipes and connections immediately to prevent further disruption of the sewer collection system, especially before any additional heavy rains.

Contact Information:
Please call Caney Creek MUD at 979-245-0245 if your sewer is backing up. This will help us monitor drainage progress and potentially provide quicker temporary relief for your sewer lines during draining.

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Wastewater Plant Update:

The wastewater plant is operating satisfactorily. However, groundwater (stormwater) intrusions are damaging the water quality treatment process, leading to an abundance of dead organics. This increases the difficulty of breaking down sewer strength for treatment. The discharge breakdown of pathogens is currently functioning well, with total chlorination at permitted compliance levels.

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This notice serves to update residents on the current status of the water and sewer systems and the steps being taken to address these issues. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

The Boil Water Notice has been lifted.

Boil Water Notice Rescinded – 7 /31/2024

On July 8, 2024, the Texas commission on Environmental Quality required the Caney Creek Municipal Utility District public water system, 1610087, to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform customers, indjviduals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the watel from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no Ionger requires boiling prior to use as of July 31, 2024.

If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Donald Fox at (979) 245-0245.

Well plants are still pumping slightly above average, which means they’re currently water leaks in the area, assuming there’s unseen property connections that may be broke underwater at piers located by the creek and or canals.

These breaks have a potential of back siphoning that causes contamination of the water system.

To assure the safest way of disinfection, we have been and currently flushing water mains heavily at dead end water mains assuring that we are testing for a free chlorinated residuals.

Depending on our pumpage readings and the flooding today , we are ready to pull grab samples at all of our monitoring stations and deliver to the TCEQ approved public water lab for analysis by Today or Wednesday. We can not pull grab samples properly with current flooding conditions around monitoring stations that will result in the contamination of sample bottles which will result in a false analysis. If the bacterilogical analysis passes negative, we can officially lift the Boil Water Notice.

If we see water meters registering an instant flow (rapidly spinning), we will turn off the meter valves at the meter box and attempt to notify the property owners.

SEWER COLLECTION UPDATE:

Unfortunately, the heavy rains and high tide ground flooding, have flooded and overwhelmed the vacuum sewer mains very rapidly, intruding in from sewer line breaks from damaged properties from Hurricane Beryl. This has disrupted sewer service for many properties. The abundance of properties that have not repaired damaged sewer lines, caused by the hurricane, is smothering all upstream connections. We are currently at the timely process of draining each street vacuum lines to restore service.

The past heavy rains and the extreme high tide flooding, has extremely slowed the process down to drain all the vacuum mains, which at this time is effecting our entire District.

We have successfully drained vacuum mains and restored service in the following areas:

• Live Oak Bend
• Caney Creek Haven
• Oak Circle
• Creekside
• Seagull
• S Caranchua
• S Gulfview
• Dolphin Way and Intracoastal

Hopefully these areas can remain open without the intrusion of flood waters.

All other areas may have service, depending on draining process without the interference of flood waters, but currently have no confirmation at this time.

Please call Caney Creek MUD, 979-245-0245, if your sewer is backing up, to help us monitor the draining progress and/or hopefully give your sewer lines possible relief quicker or temporary while draining.

Wastewater Plant is working satisfactory.

The groundwater (storm water) intrusions are currently damaging the treatment of water quality, which causes an abundance of dead organics.

This causes a harder tougher break down of sewer strength to treat.

The discharge breakdown of pathogens is currently working well for tested total chlorination at permited compliance levels.

Well plants are still pumping above average, indicating water leaks in the area. These leaks are likely due to unseen property connections that may be broken underwater near piers by the creek and canals. These breaks have the potential to cause contamination of the water system through back siphoning.

To ensure the safest disinfection, we are heavily flushing water mains at dead ends and testing for free chlorinated residuals. Depending on our pumpage readings and the weather today and this weekend, we are ready to pull grab samples at all our monitoring stations and deliver them to the TCEQ-approved public water lab for analysis. To pull grab samples properly, the weather must cooperate, as rain or gusty wind can contaminate sample bottles and result in a false analysis. If the bacteriological analysis passes negative, we can officially lift the Boil Water Notice.

Crews are currently reading meters this week along with flushing water mains. If we see water meters registering an instant flow (rapidly spinning), we will turn off the meter valves at the meter box and attempt to notify the property owners.

Sewer Collection Update

Unfortunately, the heavy rains have rapidly flooded the vacuum sewer mains, disrupting sewer service for many properties. The abundance of properties that have not repaired damaged sewer lines caused by the hurricane is smothering all upstream connections. We are in the process of draining each street vacuum line to restore service. The heavy rain and forecasted more rain are extremely slowing us down, affecting our entire District and making it very difficult to determine which connections have service.

Please call Caney Creek MUD at 979-245-0245 if your sewer is backing up to help us monitor the draining progress and potentially provide quicker or temporary relief while draining.

Wastewater Plant Status

The wastewater plant is working satisfactorily. However, groundwater (storm water) intrusions are currently damaging the treatment of water quality, causing an abundance of dead organics. This results in a tougher breakdown of sewer strength to treat. The discharge breakdown of pathogens is currently working well, with total chlorination tested at permitted compliance levels.

Please take the time today to check your property for any open clean outs, or broken candy canes before more rain comes our way!

Urgent Compliance Alert — Notice to All District Customers:

The district will be strictly enforcing all sewer connections guidelines in order to prevent any future costly sewer fees during the heavy raining and flooding events, per sewer agreement rules and regulations.

Referencing: Section 4 and 14A Exhibit Dl.07, 1.08, 1.10 and 3.09.

Under No Circumstances may groundwater or rainwater be discharged into the Caney Creek MUD’s Sanitary System.

Cleanout access shall not be covered underground, or any yard debris covering clean-outs shall be maintained in a matter which will prevent entry of ground/rainwater. All RV and Tiny Homes connections must be a threaded RV Adapter/Coupler (If not hard plumbed in) on all clean outs. All cleanouts must be closed with a threaded cap when not in service. Air Intakes (Candy Canes) also must be maintained at a minimum of 18″ or above natural ground level or higher depending on normal flood level. Candy Canes shall not be loose and must be maintained.

It is customers responsibility to ensure their files are updated with proper addresses and phone numbers with the CCMUD’s office staff to ensure CCMUD can directly communicate with the customer.

Customers can also sign up for text alerts on our website:

https://www.ccmud.org/contact/alerts/

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office, (979) 245-0245.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Paige Austin
Office Manager

Well plants is still pumping above average, which means they’re currently water leaks in the area, assuming these are unseen property connections that may be broke underwater at piers located by the creek and or canals. One was reported by a property owner on Seagull Road this past weekend that made necessary repairs immediately.

These breaks have a potential of back siphoning that causes contamination of the water system.

To assure the safest way of disinfection, we have been and currently flushing water mains heavily at dead end water mains assuring that we are testing for a free chlorinated residuals.

Depending on our pumpage readings this morning, we are ready to pull grab samples at all of our monitoring stations and deliver to the TCEQ approved public water lab for analysis. If the bacterilogical analysis passes negative, we can officially lift the Boil Water Notice.

Crews will be reading meters this week along with currently flushing water mains.

If we see water meters registering an instant flow (rapidly spinning), we will turn off the meter valve at meter box and attempt to notify the property owners.

SEWER COLLECTION UPDATE:

Currently we believe Collections are working normal. If you have back-up sewer, please call Caney Creek MUD, 979-245-0245, to allow our licensed operators to activate the collection pods, to determine either a malfunction or possible clog on your property.

Wastewater Plant is working well.

The groundwater (storm water) intrusions have damaged the treatment of water quality, which causes an abundance of dead organics.

This causes a harder tougher break down of sewer strength to treat.

The discharge breakdown of pathogens is working well for tested total chlorination at permited compliance levels.

Pumping levels are close to average.

Potential cross contamination, due to back siphoning is still a major threat. Once pumping is at a continuous average, bacterilogical grab samples will be drawn at all monitoring stations and delivered to a TCEQ approved lab for analysis. Once all samples analysis have passed, the boil water notice will be lifted.

If you see any water leaks, especially stormed damaged properties please help by turning off valves at meter box or call CCMUD at 979-245-0245.

SEWER COLLECTION UPDATE:

Most areas sewer mains have been drained.

Areas of concern is section 14 and 15 (Marlin areas gravel roads) , Marina Rd, N Gulfview, Intracoastal and sections of HWY 457.

With heavy rain forecasted, PLEASE cap off or repair any damages on your properties. Above ground pipes clean outs, air intakes (candy canes). Without immediate attention, this will cause major interruption of your service including all upstream properties.

Wastewater Plant is currently working very well. All motors and pumps working without issues, however the salt water and ground water intrusion is destroying the micro-mass population thar hurts the treatment quality.

The discharge disinfection quality is currently working at the State compliant requirements.

We are still draining sewer mains that we’re flooded from the storm surge. At least 40% of district area sewer mains and collecton pits are clear. It’s very hard to determine at this point to know exactly where it’s still flooded.

Seagull, South Caranchua, South Gulfview, Oak Circle, Creekside, Dolphin Way areas should be clear.

Live Oak Bend and Caney Creek Haven area is currently draining and should be clear today.

HWY 457, Heron, N Caranchua, Bluewater, Marlin areas draining slowly.

Our field staff is very and extremely exhausted but working very very hard to restore our public water system. Your help and support is very much appreciated.

Please repair any water leaks and sewer connection damage (pipes, cleanouts, air intakes, candy canes) on your properties as soon as possible.

Caney Creek MUD and Matagorda WCID BOIL water notice is still under a boil water notice.

The plants are still pumping above our average numbers which means they’re water leaks that threatens cross contamination by back siphoning into our water mains.

Be on the lookout for any water leaks you can see and help by turning off properties water at meter boxes or call us at 979-245-0245.