Memorial MUD residents will see an increase in their water bills starting with the August billing. The District is increasing its charge for sanitary sewer services from $29.25 per month to $33.50 per month for single-family residential users. This is due to the garbage company increasing their fees to the district by $4.33 per household, due to increased fuel and labor costs experienced by the garbage collector.
While this may seem confusing at first, there is a good reason. The District pays for garbage and recycling collection services through its sanitary sewer charges. This is done to prevent the District from having to charge its residents sales tax on garbage and recycling services. Texas law provides that if garbage and recycling services are combined with a District service such as sanitary sewer, then sales tax is not required to be assessed and collected by the District. This is why you do not see a separate line item on your monthly bill for garbage and recycling collection. These services are all included with your sewer charge.
The District has not increased this rate in over 20 years, even though our costs have obviously increased significantly over that period of time. However, the District feels that to best manage its budget, it must increase this charge to offset a portion of the increased costs of providing these essential District services. Even with the increased rate, the Memorial MUD sanitary sewer charge is significantly less than most neighboring districts, where the monthly charge is $45-$50 or more. While the Board of Directors regrets any increase in monthly billing rates, please be aware that we are constantly striving to bring you the best service possible for the lowest cost.
