LID 7 and NTRCA Partnership

Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 7 (LID 7) and the New Territory Residential Community Association (NTRCA) both serve the same 17,000 New Territory residents. Because their boundaries and populations fully overlap, LID 7 and NTRCA have developed a unique partnership that helps both organizations serve the community more efficiently.

Since 2015, LID 7 has financed, built, and operated a Water Reuse Plant that helps reduce NTRCA’s irrigation costs by more than $300,000 each year. The plant captures treated effluent water from the City of Sugar Land’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and converts it into water that can be used for irrigation and to fill lakes in New Territory.

• Since 2019, the Water Reuse Plant has supplied hundreds of millions of gallons of water each year to NTRCA.
• LID 7 provides recycled water to NTRCA for less than $2 per 1,000 gallons.
• That cost remains far below City of Sugar Land water rates, which now exceed $5 per 1,000 gallons.

To complete the Brazos River Erosion Control Project, LID 7 had to close five soccer fields at the New Territory Sports Complex for more than two years. Throughout the project, LID 7 remained committed to restoring the fields if funding and space were available after the critical infrastructure work was complete.

Through fiscal responsibility and successful grant management, LID 7 was able to replace all five fields and upgrade them to Pivot Performance Turf, the latest generation of artificial sports turf.

• The artificial turf allows NTRCA to offer more recreation opportunities for New Territory residents.
• The fields can support multiple sports, including soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and flag football.
• The fields can return to use quickly after rain and do not need to dry out like natural grass fields.
• The upgrade helps maximize the number of hours the fields can be used.

The new sports turf will also reduce future maintenance and operating costs for NTRCA. Although artificial turf costs more to install initially, the lower maintenance needs are expected to save New Territory residents $150,000 to $200,000 per year.

• The Pivot Performance Turf includes a 12-year replacement warranty.
• Based on lifecycle costs, the community’s total cost is expected to be lower after 8 to 10 years, within the turf’s 12-year warrantied lifespan.
• LID 7 also installed a new LED lighting system with a 25-year warranty.
• The cooler, more efficient LED lights will further lower NTRCA maintenance and operating costs.

LID 7 and NTRCA also work together on lake maintenance in New Territory. LID 7 owns the land under the lakes, which provide stormwater detention capacity during storms. NTRCA maintains the lakes as community amenities by keeping the water clear of trash, debris, and invasive growth, and by maintaining fountains and other lake features.

After several decades, some shoreline areas have begun to erode. In 2022, LID 7 and NTRCA split the cost to repair about 200 feet of bank in the Lakewind neighborhood. In 2026, the two organizations are partnering again to address 900 feet of shoreline erosion in upper Ellis Creek, behind the NTRCA Office.