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Latest News Archives2023-04-05T16:43:38-05:00

Latest News Archives

Winterize Your Home

With freezing temperatures right around the corner, it’s a good time to refresh ourselves on precautionary measures for drops in temperature and cold weather.

The Four P’s to Prepare your Home this Winter:

  • People
  • Pets
  • Pipes
  • Plants

People

  • Avoid going outside if it is not necessary. If you do, make sure you layer up from head to toe.
  • To keep you and your family safe, it is imperative your home is warm.
  • Make sure your heat is set to an appropriate temperature to make your entire home comfortable. Remember, heat rises so if you sleep upstairs, your room may be warmer than rooms downstairs.
  • If you use a fireplace, make sure you have a screen to catch any embers that might escape or a rolling log.
  • Never use your stove or oven to heat your home.
  • If you smell smoke or see flames, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Pets

  • While protecting your family, it is imperative to protect your pets as well.
  • Pets, like humans, are vulnerable to cold temperatures. If not taken care of properly, they can succumb to frostbite and even hypothermia.
  • If you have a dog that typically lives outdoors, consider letting them inside when temperatures drop to freezing. While their fur does help to keep them warm, it provides little help in freezing temperatures.
  • If you absolutely cannot bring them inside, make sure they have a warm shelter, plenty of food and fresh water so it does not freeze.
  • If your pet looks like it has any symptoms resembling frostbite or hypothermia, call your vet.

Pipes

  • Turn off the sprinkler system shut-off valve. Most residential devices have two shut-off valves. These are typically covered in blue on the valve handles and located before and after the sprinkler system backflow device. A diagram is shown below.
  • Release the water pressure from the bleeder valves. The bleeder valves are usually located under the top of the backflow device. If the water does not stop flowing you may have not shut the valves off completely.
  • Leave the smaller bleeder valve open, this will let any remaining water in the line expand without breaking the device. Insulate your backflow device. Most hardware/home services stores carry backflow insulation supplies.
  • Make sure to cover all your exposed pipes with a cover. You can also cover your pipes with towels, duct tape or another adhesive strip as long as they are wrapped tightly.
  • You can also open up the cabinets to let warm air circulate throughout your home. Just make sure any harmful chemicals are out of reach for children and pets.

Plants

  • When cold weather hits, it’s a good idea to bring in all of your outdoor plants.
  • If you can’t bring in the plant, cover it with a blanket to make sure they do not die.

Other Tips

  • Don’t forget to make sure your car is okay for the freezing temperatures. Check your anti-freeze and your batteries. Also make sure to check your tire pressure and the tread.
  • Speaking of cars, make sure when you are on the road that you are mindful parts of the roads may be frozen, particularly bridges. Do not speed and never slam on the brakes.
  • Make sure if you use a generator, it is outdoors. Do not use a generator inside, including in your garage.

By |January 12th, 2024|

Winter Freeze Warning

Being prepared is the first step in reducing costly home repairs and emergency situations during inclement weather . Here are some tips to help keep you warm, safe and reduce the chance of damage to your residence and/or property:

  • Shop earlier for supplies! When dangerous weather is pending, don’t wait to stock up on useful items, such as pipe insulation, bottled water, canned goods, hygiene & feminine products, pet food, batteries, flashlights, wood for fire places, gas powered generator if possible, and blankets. Checking fuel levels in your vehicle and toping off if necessary is also a good idea.
  • Stock up on medications and first aid supplies! Road conditions may become hazardous during inclement weather, so make sure you have at least a weeks worth of first aid needs and prescribed medications on hand.
  • Insulating outside water pipes! Check around and near your home and property to insure there are no exposed water pipes. Covering any outside faucets, water spigots and turning off automated water sprinkler systems is a must during freezing temps.
  • Check on elderly family members and friends prior to inclement weather. They may not have the resources to stock up on supplies, and may require assistance.
  • Bring outside pets indoors! Remember: If you’re cold, they’re cold. Bring them into a warm area with plenty of bedding. If your pet requires a prescription medication, make sure you have a least a weeks worth on hand during the inclement weather.
  • Checking all window and door sills to ensure proper fit and that they are air tight to prevent cold air from entering and warm air from escaping. This is especially important in case of power loss in your home.
  • Cover outside plants and shrubbery with sheets. Covering your landscaping will help minimize the risk of damage caused by frost and freezing temps, and when possible, bring potted plants indoors.

By |January 12th, 2024|

Recent Billing Inaccuracies Update

HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 364
c/o Polley Garza PLLC
2929 Allen Parkway, Suite 3450 • Houston, Texas 77019-7120

Board of Directors
Megan Bradley, President          Holly Isbell, Vice President        Dale R. Trevino, Secretary

Erin Corken, Investment Officer          Lisa Foley, Assistant Secretary

November 21, 2023

Dear MUD 364 Customer,

Last month, the District received several inquiries regarding bills that reflected much higher usage than the customer expected. The District’s Operator, Municipal Operations & Consulting (MOC), researched the matter and discovered it had made errors that resulted in approximately 200 inaccurate bills. The MUD 364 Board of Directors would like to provide District customers with an update on how the errors occurred, what has been done to correct inaccurate bills, and steps MOC is taking to avoid this in the future.

In early October, MOC discovered one of its employees had likely falsified water meter readings for at least a portion of the District in July and August. To determine which customers were impacted, MOC manually re-read every water meter, audited all customer invoices, and analyzed customer historical usage data to identify inconsistencies. These steps were taken for all MUD 364 customers whether or not the customer had contacted the District or MOC about an unusually highwater bill. MOC identified approximately 200 impacted customers. These customers were sent a corrected invoice. Because some accounts were incorrectly underbilled in July and/or August, some customers ended up with a credit, while others had a balance.

MOC has assured the District that it has redressed all incorrect bills, but if you believe you were impacted, please contact MOC’s customer service department at 281-367-5511. MOC has read all water meters twice this month to verify the accuracy of initial reads, and compared the two new readings for accuracy. Fortunately, both reads were found to be accurate and dependable. Additionally, MOC has implemented safeguards in its billing/meter reading software and the process by which its employees manually read water meters.
The MUD 364 Board apologizes for the burden this has caused District customers. The Board remains committed to ensuring all customer concerns are adequately addressed.

Sincerely,

Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 364 Board of Directors

By |November 21st, 2023|

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