East Cedar Creek Fresh Water Supply District (ECCFWSD) is a local governmental entity created by the 65th Texas Legislature on June 25, 1977. The District covers approximately 20 square miles in northwest Henderson County, adjacent to the north and east banks of Cedar Creek Reservoir.
Although the number of customers changes almost daily, the District currently has approximately 7,100 water customers and approximately 5,600 sewer customers. Much of the District’s service area consists of municipal and rural residential subdivisions that were developed in the mid to late 1960s and early 1970s following construction of the reservoir.
Most of the major challenges facing the District today in maintaining compliance with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requirements and standards can be traced to original infrastructure put in place years ago by subdivision developers, which in large part was inadequate or substandard.
Over the years, the District has absorbed these subdivisions and their water and wastewater systems and worked to bring plant facilities and water distribution and wastewater collection systems into compliance.
As the District worked to replace old infrastructure, state requirements and standards steadily increased, requiring additional improvements to these systems. Although tremendous improvements have been made, especially in the district’s water and wastewater treatment facilities, there remains a lot of work to be done in replacing or upgrading old infrastructure, particularly the wastewater collection systems.
The District divides its customer base into northern and southern sectors with the dividing line being the south Gun Barrel City Limits on Highway 198. Approximately two-thirds of the District customers are in the north district and one-third in the south district. The District has a water treatment plant and a wastewater treatment plant in each of the two sectors.
The District’s main office is just off Welch Lane in Gun Barrel City at 115 Hammer Road. The administrative staff consists of eight (8) employees, a field staff of nineteen (19) employees, and a water/wastewater plant operations with a staff of eleven (11) that works within an annual budget to provide water and sewer services to District customers. Questions or service needs should be called to the main office, telephone (903) 887-7103 option #2.
The District's staff operates two water treatment plants; maintain water storage facilities and water distribution lines; operate two wastewater treatment plants; and maintain the wastewater collection pumps, lines, manholes, and lift stations. Additionally, they prepare water and wastewater taps for new customers, and turn services off when accounts are closed.
The overall leadership and management of the District is vested in a seven-member Board of Directors. These officials establish policies and priorities regarding the financial, staffing, purchasing and service needs of the District.