The Conroe Independent School District is joining an initiative that will address the future water needs of the entire Montgomery County area.

According to the county, the school district is one of the top 200 water consumers in Montgomery County and as a result of the school board vote on May 18, they will be joining a contract with the San Jacinto River Authority to meet a countywide mandate that will reduce the use of groundwater by up to 30 percent by the year 2016.

The plan will be paid for via pump fees, expected to add about $2 per 1,000 gallons used to all water bills in the Montgomery County by 2016.

The contract states that “its main purpose is to address the county’s dwindling water supply. And, the San Jacinto River Authority has proposed pumping water from Lake Conroe to the heavy populated areas in The Woodlands and Conroe, while allowing outlying rural areas to remain entirely on groundwater.”

“While some district are still exploring brackish water as a water supply solution, no one has refused to sign the San Jacinto contract,” said Jace Houston, deputy general manager of SJRA.