County wide burn ban reinstated County hears request to disband water control board

During their meeting Monday, Howard County Commissioners heard a report from Phillip Reid advocating dissolution group responsible for overseeing transfer of water from Big Spring to Coahoma.

Phillip Reid, a member of the Howard County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, told the commissioners that the board – first formed in 1954 – has outlived its usefulness.

“It was formed in order to build a water pipe from the city of Big Spring to the City of Coahoma, and to service all the residents between Big Spring and Coahoma,” he said. “Our board of directors has been talking for a few years, and it's our opinion that, if we could dissolve that water board, we could eliminate the middle man between Big Spring and Coahoma. At one time it was discussed that one municipality couldn't sell water to another municipality, except going through a water board. But over the years, the rules have changed, and now that can happen.”

Eliminating the board as an intermediary between the two cities will save money, he said.

“It used to be a little bit higher, but right now it's probably about an 8 percent increase over what the City of Big Spring charges us,” he said.

Reid said the procedure for dissolving the water board is similar to that for creating one in the first place.

“You have to have a petition first. Then you have to have the county commissioners to pass it and get a hearing,” he said. “Then after the hearing, you have to call for an election. Then after the election, the water board would be dissolved, and they would have to liquidate their assets.”

Reid said the HCWCID No. 1's primary assets are the water pipeline between Big Spring and Coahoma, and a water