The Woodlands Edition | May 2023

PEOPLE Erich Peterson

BY JOVANNA AGUILAR

WATER WORLD The Woodlands Water Agency oversees 10 municipal utility districts in The Woodlands area.

New general manager takes helm at The Woodlands Water Agency Erich Peterson, who was appointed general manager of The Woodlands Water Agency in January following the retirement of James Stinson, said he hopes to

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continue Stinson’s work overseeing The Woodlands’ water management needs. Peterson has more than 22 years of experience in private engineering con- sulting, managing water districts and solving complex water, wastewater and drainage issues. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

RESEARCH FOREST DR.

WOODLANDS PKWY.

you know, The Woodlands is turning 50 years old next year. Much of our water system is 50 years old or will be soon enough. Like the plumbing in our homes, it must be upgraded or replaced as it wears out, [and] The Woodlands is no dierent. We’ve provided superior-rated water and top-notch wastewater and drainage systems for 50 years. We’re committed to keeping it that way. WHAT ARE THE GREATEST WATER MANAGEMENT NEEDS IN THE WOODLANDS AREA? Some areas of The Woodlands will need water line replacement [and] wastewater line replacement, mostly in the original villages of The Woodlands. Our oldest waste- water treatment plant is at the end of its useful life, [and] when water distribution lines and wastewater collection lines age they can become weak. This can lead to breaks causing major water loss, or wastewater line breaks that could lead to sinkholes and cave-ins. Each of these scenarios causes service outages and they are very costly. The infrastructure renewal will address this, help prevent those costly

THE WOODLANDS

WERE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE WOODLANDS PRIOR TO APPLY ING FOR THIS POSITION? [I was] very familiar with The Woodlands; I lived here for more than 14 years until 2019. After college and working briey in Houston, I moved to The Woodlands area in 2004. I’m still a resident of Montgomery County. WHAT IS DIFFERENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE WOOD LANDS WATER AGENCY FROM YOUR PREVIOUS ROLES? In most districts, a district would hire a consultant to do engineering operations of billing, bookkeeping, legal tax assessment and nancial. At WWA, we handle all of those areas in-house except legal and nancial adviser duties, which are contracted out for the MUDs. For projects that need engineering design, we work with engineering rms. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT WILL BE THE GREATEST CHALLENGE MANAGING THE WWA? Our greatest challenge will be further strengthening the water infrastructure of The Woodlands. As

Municipal Utility District service areas

• The Woodlands MUD No. 39 • The Woodlands MUD No. 46 • The Woodlands MUD No. 47 • The Woodlands MUD No. 60 • The Woodlands MUD No. 67

• The Woodlands MUD No. 1

• The Woodlands MUD No. 7 • The Woodlands MUD No. 6 • The Woodlands Metro Center MUD

• The Woodlands MUD No. 36

SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS WATER AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

seen shows that there is a correlation between groundwater pumpage and subsidence. Drainage and ooding is such a multivariable phenomenon, with factors such as rainfall intensity, duration, ground saturation, and location of when and where it falls. Subsidence can also be a variable contributing to ooding. We can easily see this happening along coastal areas. ... The full impact to our more inland area is still being evaluated. WWA will continue to partner with regional and state agencies to monitor and address subsidence as more data is available.

unplanned breaks and outages, and provide another 50 to 70 years of reli- able water and wastewater utilities. HOW DO YOU SEE THE ROLE OF THE WOODLANDS WATER AGENCY IN ONGOING DIS CUSSION ON TOPICS SUCH AS SUBSIDENCE AND DRAINAGE FLOOD PREVENTION? WWA continues to be a community partner in evaluating subsidence. Subsidence is a regional issue that cannot be solved by one entity or water provider. The evidence I’ve

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LOCAL OFFICE

Jerry Coker 713-224-3426 ¡Hablamos Español!

THE WOODLANDS EDITION • MAY 2023