The North Houston Association will give an update on the north Houston water supply issue at its luncheon on July 14. Featured speakers include Representative Paul Hilbert (invited), Senator Jon Lindsay, Ron Neighbors of the Harris Galveston Coastal Subsidence District and Joe Wozny representing the Alliance of North Houston Chambers of Commerce ( ANHOC). “This is an issue I have been working on for years,” said Lindsay, NHA president. “None of us are immune from the effects of water supply on the region, and in the spirit of the Association’s purpose, we are hosting an educational update that will include discussions on subsidence, legislation and the need to convert to surface water.”

Lindsay and Hilbert will address the legislative aspect of the issue, including House Bill 2965. This bill provides the framework to build out the necessary infrastructure to meet the Subsidence District’s surface water conversion mandate while ensuring a long-term supply of water for both businesses and residents alike. At the luncheon, Hilbert and Lindsay also will talk about future action on the issue. Neighbors will update the audience on the Subsidence District’s efforts, including its District Regulatory Plan 1999, a document the North Houston Association’s Environment Committee commented on at a recent public meeting. “We want to ensure the Subsidence District’s plan is aggressive enough to prevent the continued decline in the ground- water table and its associated subsidence that increases flooding in north Houston,” said Catherine Wray, executive director. The Subsidence District redefined the goals for conversion to surface water for north Harris County in its plan. Joe Wozny, WSBC Civil Engineers and chairman of ANHOC, will speak on the importance of surface water to continued growth and economic development in north Houston.