Municipal Utility District

One of the benefits of living in River Place is the award winning River Place Municipal Utility District, known as the “MUD”. The MUD engages in the supply of retail and out-of-District wholesale water, conservation, irrigation, drainage, solid waste disposal, wastewater treatment, as well as parks and recreational facilities such as the Nature Trail and Boardwalk (See Recreational Facilities Rules and Regulations).

The MUD has the lowest ad valorum tax rate of any full service utility district in Texas. For Fiscal 2007, the rate was $ 0.40 per $100 of property value. In addition to the low ad valorum tax rate, River Place homeowners enjoy special reductions in MUD taxes. The MUD grants a Homestead Exemption reducing by 10% the appraised value of all residential property before applying the tax rate. In addition, the MUD grants a Senior Citizen Exemption of $25,000 for families with at least one homeowner age 65 or older. The Monthly Basic Service Charge for seniors is reduced from $31 to $30 each month. To obtain this, please notify ECO Resources in writing with proof of age before your 65^th birthday.

After reviewing the audit and financial operations of the MUD in March 2006, Standard & Poor’s increased the rating to A-. Only 1% of MUDs in Texas enjoy this high rating and there are no MUDs rated higher.

With respect to the quality of the drinking water, the MUD received a Five-Year Total Coliform Rule Program Award for 2000 to 2005 from the TCEQ and a continuing award from the TCEQ for 2006 awarded August 7, 2007. This means that the water was of the highest quality available (see 2006 Drinking Water Quality Report-Customer Confidence Report).

Water & Wastewater Facilities Operations are rated “Superior” by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (“TCEQ”). In spite of reduced maintenance and operations taxes, the MUD facilities modernization plan ensures the reliable delivery of high quality services at a reasonable price. In 2007, the 750,000 Ground Water Storage Tank was totally rehabilitated. The Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition System (SCADA System) was upgraded with cutting edge software and new hardware. The cost for these two projects alone was approximately $1 million. Yet water, sewage and trash collection prices remain the same. This was made possible by strict oversight of the Board of Directors in spite of increasing costs from contractors.