It is the mission of the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) to provide a high quality potable water supply to meet the immediate and future needs of the region served since its creation in 1951. The initial population of the NTMWD service area totaled approximately 32,000 citizens. Currently, the NTMWD delivers and meets the potable water needs of over 1.5 million people daily. NTMWD utilizes surface water supplies from Lavon Lake, Lake Texoma, and Jim Chapman Lake.

Beginning early 2005, the North Texas area began experiencing extreme drought conditions that were being compared to the drought of record of the 1950s. The drought of record lasted for seven years, beginning in 1950 and lasting until 1957. Exceptionally high temperatures and dry conditions continued through 2006, and the area did not experience any relief in the drought period until the spring rains of 2007. The drought could not be considered officially over for NTMWD until the last of NTMWD’s three supply reservoirs returned back to full conservation capacity in July 2007.

During the beginning of the drought period for Lavon Lake, a total of 18.72 inches of rainfall was recorded during calendar year 2005. Below average rainfall continued through 2006 with 30.88” of rainfall. Rainfall recorded at Jim Chapman Lake was 21.79 inches for 2005 and 35.57 inches during 2006. The 30-year average rainfall for Lavon Lake and Jim Chapman Lake is 40.06 inches and 44.86 inches, respectively. As a result of the diminished rain events, runoff was not present and lake elevations had continued to decline. Prior to the return to full conservation capacity in July 2007, the last time Lavon Lake was at full conservation elevation, 492’ above mean sea level (msl), was in April 2005. Jim Chapman Lake had endured a four-year drought beginning in April 2003 and continuing until the return to full conservation elevation of 440’ msl in July 2007. NTMWD responded to the continuing drought conditions by implementing its Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan in October 2005. The NTMWD Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan remained in effect until the plan was lifted in July 2007.

Increases or decreases in treated water deliveries are normal occurrences from year to year depending on the amount of rainfall received. It is common that during dry weather conditions, consumption will increase. With the onset of the drought, and as the extreme hot and dry weather continued to persist, NTMWD saw a trend for sharp increases in water consumption. NTMWD was able to curb the peak usage through the implementation of the Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan and the initiation of the “Water IQ: Know Your Water” campaign. NTMWD treated and delivered 100.6 billion gallons of water during the 2005-06 Water Year (August 2005-July 2006) as compared to 77.5 billion gallons of water during the 2006-07 Water Year (August 2006-July 2007).

Water System construction contracts, completed or underway, during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Operations Year totaled over $482 million. Major projects focused on the development of additional supplies to meet the increasing raw water supply needs for the NTMWD. Water supply projects under construction included the Upper Sabine Basin River Water Supply Project and the East Fork Raw Water Supply Project.

The construction at the water treatment plants included the 140 MGD (million gallons per day) expansion at Plant IV and improvements to Raw Water Pump Station No. 3. Construction projects that increased the treated water deliveries to NTMWD’s North System included the Allen/Plano/Frisco/McKinney Pipeline Project; the Frisco-McKinney Pump Station and Pipeline Project; and, the Little Elm Pipeline Project. Construction projects in the South System included the Royse City Water Transmission Pipeline No. 2; the Mesquite No. 3 Parallel Pipeline; the Mesquite to Forney 14-Inch Pipeline Replacement; and the Forney to Terrell Pump Station and Pipeline. Other improvements included the City of Terrell West Pump Station and 3 MG Storage Facility; the Terrell Town North Improvements; and, the City of Terrell South and North Transmission Mains.

Water System construction projects also included the Bonham Water Treatment Plant; the Wylie to Lavon Pipeline; and the Rockwall Eastside Ground Storage Reservoir and Pump Station. New facilities or improvement projects for the support departments for NTMWD services included homeland security improvements, a new Environmental Services building, and a new Technical/Facilities Services building.

WATER SYSTEM MEMBER CITIES
Allen
Farmersville
Forney
Frisco
Garland
McKinney
Mesquite
Plano
Princeton
Richardson
Rockwall
Royse City
Wylie

WATER SYSTEM CUSTOMERS
Bonham
Caddo Basin S.U.D.
Cash W.S.C.
College Mound W.S.C.
Copeville S.U.D
Crandall
East Fork S.U.D.
Fairview
Fate
Forney Lake W.S.C.
Gastonia-Scurry W.S.C.
Greater Texoma Utility Authority (GTUA)
Josephine
Kaufman
Kaufman Four-One
Lavon W.S.C.
Little Elm
Lucas
Melissa
Milligan W.S.C.
Mt. Zion W.S.C.
Murphy
Nevada W.S.C.
N. Collin W.S.C.
Parker
Prosper
Rose Hill S.U.D.
Rowlett
Sachse
Seis Lagos U.D.
Sunnyvale
Wylie N.E. S.U.D.