In January 2015, Forest Creek was named Neighborhood of the Year by the City of Round Rock for the community reclaimed water project. In May 2015, Forest Creek was awarded second place for the Neighborhood of the Year by the national organization Neighborhoods USA for the reclaimed water project. These honors, reflecting Forest Creek homeowners commitment to being environmentally responsible, bring more credit to our community as one of the best places in the country to live and raise a family.
Forest Creek has over 2.5 miles of greenbelt lined roads plus a 3 acre park to landscape and irrigate. In 2014 the Forest Creek HOA converted 90% of our community landscape irrigation from potable water to city-produced reclaimed/recycled water. The HOA had been consuming 16.6 million gallons a year of potable water for the community landscaping. The completion of the project resulted in a reduction in demand for potable water by 15 million gallons per year and replaced it with reclaimed water. This project is a win-win situation for the city and the HOA. The city reduces its demand for potable water and the HOA saves money and contributes to a greener, more sustainable environment.
Over the years some board members had talked about capitalizing on the recycled water line feeding the city golf course irrigation system, but costs were very high and significant technical issues had to be overcome. In 2012 the HOA Board began a concerted effort to revive the concept. Concurrently, the city wastewater treatment facility was nearing completion of facilities to provide additional treatment to the reclaimed water stream to upgrade Type 2 water to produce Type 1 reclaimed water for use in parks and growing areas of the city. Type 1 water is fully treated, safe and is allowed under state law to be used on public area irrigation such as the HOA landscaping.
The HOA approached the city engineers about connecting the reclaimed water line to the golf course and began to develop a framework and timing that could work for both the HOA and the city water reclamation project.
In continuing coordination with city engineers, the HOA reached a proposed agreement with the city water treatment department to build a line connecting the Type 1 water treatment output to the old line providing Type 2 water to the city golf course. This proposal involved cost sharing between the HOA and the city for the modifications to the treatment plant plumbing. Total city treatment plant re-plumbing costs were estimated at $90,000 and the HOA was to pay $45,000 of this cost.
The board supported the proposed project and took the proposal to the homeowners at an annual meeting. The homeowners agreed that the project was both cost effective and good policy, thereby authorizing the expenditure of HOA funds.
The project was completed in May 2014 and the HOA began using reclaimed water instead of potable water for the landscaping for 90% of the HOA irrigation needs. (Other areas were not within reach of the recycled water line.)
Total cost to the HOA was under $92,000 and savings are projected to be over $25,000 per year in reduced water costs. (The city charges 75% of the low season water rate for reclaimed water.) Additionally, the HOA will not be impacted by drought and water restrictions because there is no shortage of reclaimed water, allowing the HOA to keep the neighborhood greenbelts and park green, even in drought periods.
The HOA was able to readily fund this project because the community had earlier agreed to create a “Capital Improvement Reserve Fund”. The HOA dues include enough money to fund day to day operations and put aside 20% of each year’s assessments for capital improvements to the neighborhood. By the time this project was ready, there was ample money in the reserves and no increase in dues or special assessment was necessary to fund it.
In communicating with neighboring communities who might also be able to capitalize on the reclaimed water supply, the biggest single problem they had was the lack of a reserve fund to pay for the changes to their irrigation systems. Homeowners are resistant to increases in dues or special assessments, so having a savings plan and reserve fund allows the HOA to look at potential projects without the barrier of the accompanying increasing dues (except those initially incurred to establish the reserve fund.) Once the savings plan starts, it is relatively painless to continue it.
Forest Creek HOA is now doing what it can to minimize the load on our water systems and conserve the important resource of clean water while keeping our city beautiful.