Heath and Rockwall execute a Memorandum of Understanding for a phased increase in available water to Heath

Heath, TX (July 27, 2025) – The City of Heath and City of Rockwall have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that includes an immediate increase in water availability from 6 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) to 6.5 MGD.

The increase will be tested for viability through August 31 and, if sustainable, will become a new maximum daily amount that the City of Heath can use to meet its water needs. Additionally, the MOU provides for the amount moving to 7MGD in July of 2026 if the increase can be proven sustainable.

The MOU sets out key terms to be incorporated into a new water contract and provides some much-needed relief in meeting the City of Heath’s growing water needs. The MOU also provides for an additional 0.5MGD once RCH Water Supply is no longer on Rockwall’s take point and offers an opportunity to grow the City of Heath’s contracted water to 9MGD by 2032. The MOU was executed following a mutual agreement by the two parties to dismiss ongoing lawsuits and appeals related to the North Texas Water Municipal District and the City of Heath’s dispute regarding the tree ordinance.

The City of Heath has agreed to install a restrictor valve to be controlled by the City of Rockwall, which will place a greater emphasis on the City of Heath to adhere to its contracted amount of water. The new restrictor valve will be installed over the next several months.

The final water contract will be developed during the next month.

“We are thrilled to move beyond the lawsuits involving our neighbor and water supplier and increase the amount of water available to the citizens we serve,” said Mayor Jeremiah McClure.

“Positive communication between all of the parties has paved the way for constructive negotiations to move forward on developing a new water contract,” he said. “We look forward to being strong partners in serving our community today, and in the future.”

While the amount of water available to the City of Heath is increasing in phased amounts, conservation will still be critical and directed by the City of Heath’s Water Resource and Emergency Management Plan. The plan requires a year-round conservation model of watering with an irrigation system, twice per week (Stage 1).

The twice-per-week schedule will remain in effect, however, with the increased daily supplies, the daily use threshold for triggering a move to Stage 2 (watering once per week) will increase.

“The increase in supply takes off some of the pressure we have been under to keep water use under the 90% threshold,” said City Manager Steven Alexander. “The Mayor and City Council continue to provide excellent leadership in working to resolve the City of Heath’s water supply issues. Resolving the supply issue will take time, and as such, conservation will remain an important initiative in Heath, as it is throughout Texas and much of the country.”

“We thank citizens for being a part of this effort,” he said.

Press release submitted by Suzanne Brooke, City of Heath, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News. Courtesy photo.

  Heath, Memorandum of Understanding, Rockwall, water supply