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As the holiday season approaches, the Board of Directors for Fort Bend County MUD 128 would like to remind residents about an important issue that can negatively impact your sewer systems: F.O.G. – fat, oil, and grease. While we all enjoy festive feasts and seasonal cooking, improper disposal of these substances can lead to serious and costly plumbing problems for your community.

What is F.O.G.?

Fat: Peanut butter, shortening. meat trimmings, uncooked poultry skin, dairy such as milk, sour cream, and ice cream. All fats are solid at room temperature.

Oil: Vegetable oils, salad dressings, and cooking oils, which are typically liquid at room temperature

Grease: Gravy, mayonnaise, melted meat fat such as bacon grease, boiled poultry skin. Typically, these are liquid when cooking and then solidify once cooled.

How does F.O.G. affect my pipes?

When F.O.G. enters your drains, it can accumulate and cause blockages, restricting the amount of wastewater that exits your home. This can result in sewer pipes backing up, which could cause untreated sewage to flow into your home, business, and even the environment. If sewage does enter the environment, it leads to contaminated waterways and can become a human health hazard. This raw sewage carries a variety of bacteria that are harmful to human health, fish, and wildlife.

How to dispose of F.O.G. properly:

• Let the Fat, oil, or grease cool in the pan
• If it’s a small amount, scrape it into the trash using paper towels to wipe out excess grease.
• Wash pots and pans in the sink as usual.
• For large amounts pour into a sealable can or bottle then dispose at a local recycle center.
• Use strainers in the sink to catch scraps and other solids.
• Solutions like Oil-Dri Absorbent Clay® or cat litter can assist in capturing and drying out oil, fat, and grease, thus making it safe to throw in the trash.
• Please remember hot water and soap DO NOT eliminate F.O.G. because it will eventually reform in pipes.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two times of year when F.O.G. clogs create the most problems for districts due to all the heavy cooking and frying turkeys. As we celebrate the season with family and friends, let’s all do our part to ensure that our plumbing systems remain healthy and functional. By following these simple tips and spreading the word about F.O.G., we can prevent costly repairs and protect our environment and infrastructure.

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Holidays are a prime time for vacations. Unfortunately, it is also a prime time for residential burglaries. This is due to lawbreakers preying on traveling families and homes that seem to be empty for extended periods of time.

Below are some helpful ideas to protect your home and deter criminals:

• Set up home security cameras with motion sensors and bright lighting. Set these up with random timers to keep thieves from detecting a pattern.
• Keep the exterior of your home clear with open spaces.
• Get to know your neighbors. Neighbors are much more likely to notice suspicious activity within the neighborhood and report it.
• Put your mail on hold with USPS Hold Mail. This will keep your confidential information in a safe place till you return (for up to 30 days).
  https://faq.usps.com/s/article/USPS-Hold-Mail-The-Basics
• Set up a Vacation Watch with Harris County Constable office so they can monitor your home while you are out of town. The link provided below will guide you through the set-up process:
  Fort Bend Precinct 4 Constable’s Office – Vacation Watch

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As residents begin holiday shopping, the District wants residents to be aware of jugging. Jugging is a term used to describe a form of scam or fraud in which individuals are targeted and robbed after leaving a bank or ATM. This criminal activity involves a group of people working together to steal cash or other valuable items from unsuspecting victims. Criminals who engage in jugging often observe their targets as they enter and exit banks or ATMs, looking for people who withdraw large amounts of cash or items from safe deposit boxes. They then follow the victim to their next destination, usually a retail store or other business, and wait for an opportunity to break into their car and steal their valuables.

One of the best ways to prevent jugging is to be aware of your surroundings when entering and exiting a bank or ATM. Take note of any suspicious individuals or vehicles in the area and avoid carrying large amounts of cash or valuables, such as jewelry. If possible, use electronic banking services or credit cards to make transactions.

When leaving a bank or ATM, be sure to check your surroundings and make sure you are not being followed. If you suspect that someone is following you, call the police or go to a safe location, such as a police station or crowded area.

Avoid leaving valuables in plain sight and make sure your car is locked and windows are rolled up. If possible, park in a well-lit area with security cameras. To avoid becoming a victim of jugging, individuals should be aware of their surroundings, avoid leaving large amounts of cash or valuables in their vehicles, and take steps to protect themselves and their valuables.

If you believe you are being followed, or if you are victim of jugging, contact the Constables Precinct 4.

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Water Conservation does not require you to dramatically change your lifestyle overnight, but it does require each of us to become more aware of how and why we are using our water. Even as we come to a close of summer and children return to school, high temperatures will continue through September and into October. Below are some simple suggestions from Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 128 (FB MUD 128) to assist you in helping conserve water for our community.

Household Tips:

Check and Inspect:

Thoroughly check and inspect all your pipes, hoses, faucets and even appliances for any type of leaks. The smallest leak can easily result in 1000s of gallons of wasted water.

Lifestyle Habits:

One of the biggest habits to adopt is turning off the water while doing daily hygiene tasks such as brushing teeth, washing hands, shaving, etc. By turning off the water during just one of those habits, the average home can conserve 2,000 plus gallons of water each year.

Dishwasher Efficiency:

Most conventional dishwashers use between 7 to 14 gallons of water per load. A water-efficient dishwasher uses only 4.5 to 7 gallons of water per load. A second way to conserve water is to only run your dishwasher with a full load of dirty dishes. Whether you run one dish or a full dishwasher the same amount of water is being used each time you run it.

Another water-efficient appliance you can investigate is your clothes washing machine. On average your normal washing machine will use upwards of 10,000 gallons of water each year. A high-efficiency washer machine uses between 30% to 50% less water per load. That equals nearly 5,000 gallons of water each year.

Watering Your Lawn

The best way to maintain a healthy lawn is to water it deeply and infrequently. A thorough watering once or twice a week is better than frequent, light sprinkling.

Plan to water your lawn at least once a week (but no more than three times) for about 10 minutes to give your lawn an inch of moisture. You can measure the depth of the water by how easy it is to push a dowel or screwdriver into the earth to the proper depth: too hard – water deeper; too easy – you may be overwatering your lawn.

Make sure the irrigation system is doing its job. Uniform watering can help avoid brown spots and keep the turf healthy from root to tip. Check the irrigation system weekly to make sure each section of the turf is being supplied with the appropriate amount of water.

To ensure your lawn gets the most possible water, follow these tips for how often to water your lawn in the summer:

• Be respectful of water restrictions if present in your community.
• The best time to water your lawn in the summer is in the early morning hours, ideally before sunrise, or late in the evening after sundown. This way, the water has a chance to soak in before the sun dries it out.
• Carefully place your sprinkler or hose to avoid watering the street and sidewalks. This is just a waste of water.
• Monitor the watering to make sure that certain areas aren’t becoming too saturated.
• Don’t forget to account for rain when watering your lawn. If you have had an especially rainy week, you won’t have to water your lawn as much – or at all, if the ground is still moist. Rainwater is always better than processed water for your lawn!
• If you have an irrigation system adjust your timers as the weather changes and inspect for damaged or leaking heads.

Outdoor Tips:

Yard Maintenance:

Early in the morning and late in the evening are the two best times to water your yard. When watering in the middle times of the day, we increase the rate of evaporation due to the hotter temperatures. Two more ways to conserve water is to eliminate as many weeds as possible and add mulch to all our flower beds. These two things will work together to conserve water for your home. Weeds are known to steal water away from your other plants, so by simply removing weeds, you will not have to water your plants and flowers as often.

Just remember, water conservation is a lifestyle choice that we all can make. By simply adding one of these small steps to our daily routines we can save gallons of water each year. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the district through our website’s “Contact Us” page.

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The real property that you are about to purchase is located in Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 128 (“District”) and may be subject to district taxes. The district may, subject to voter approval, impose taxes and issue bonds. The district may impose an unlimited rate of tax in payment of such bonds. The current tax rate levied by the District on property within the District is $0.2650 per $100 of assessed value.

Notice to Purchasers: PDF | DOC

The Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 128 (FBC MUD 128) will hold a public hearing on the proposed tax rate for the 2024 tax year. The hearing is scheduled for Monday, September 23, 2024, at 8:15 a.m. at 202 Century Square Blvd., Sugar Land, Texas 77478, and will also be available via videoconference on Microsoft Teams.

Key Details About the Proposed Tax Rate

• Proposed Tax Rate: The proposed rate for 2024 is $0.265 per $100 of value, compared to last year’s rate of $0.288 per $100, reflecting a decrease of $0.023 per $100.
• Impact on Average Homestead: The average appraised residence homestead value has increased from $720,493 to $790,549. Consequently, taxes on the average residence homestead are expected to increase slightly from $2,075.02 to $2,094.95, resulting in an annual increase of $19.93.

Taxpayer Rights

If the proposed combined debt service, operation, and maintenance tax rate increases taxes on the average homestead by more than 3.5%, an election will be held to approve the operation and maintenance tax rate, in accordance with Section 49.23602 of the Water Code.

How to Participate and Learn More

Your participation is encouraged, as the changes in the taxable value of your property relative to others will affect your tax rate. For more details on the proposed tax rate and to access your local property tax information, visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes.

For further information regarding the hearing, please refer to the official document or contact the tax office at (281) 499-1223.

Fort Bend County’s Contractor will complete curbside debris collection throughout the Riverstone community on Saturday, August 31, 2024. For additional information, please visit the following link to Fort Bend County Debris Management.

Update from Best Trash

After August 31st, 2024, residents can contact customerservice@besttrashtexas.com with a request for a one-time special collection quote. Residents would need to include in their emailed request their District name, address, and a few pictures of their pile, which will be used by Best Trash to provide a quote for debris pickup. Once an agreement for pickup has been reached between the resident and Best Trash, Best Trash will invoice the resident and after payment is received, Best Trash will schedule the pickup which will typically be the following trash pickup day.