New White Paper Urges Districts to “Reimagine Water” for Long-Term Sustainability
HOUSTON – BGE, Inc., a leading multidisciplinary engineering firm, has developed a comprehensive water management solution that helps districts conserve groundwater, reclaim wastewater, and tap alternative sources to secure future supplies. The firm details this approach in a newly published white paper, offering a roadmap for how the AEC industry and municipal utility districts (MUDs) can collaborate to implement scalable strategies for sustainable water use.
This reuse revolution supports smart water management and sustainable water use in rapidly growing communities across the United States.
“This solution isn’t just about water; it’s about long-term value,” said Larry Mueller, PE, Director of Construction Management, and one of the white paper authors. “By saving more than $6 million to date, we’ve proven that sustainable water management delivers significant economic benefits. Just as importantly, this approach is scalable, giving similarly sized regions a practical roadmap to tackle water challenges.”
BGE recently won the Gold Medal at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Texas Chapter’s 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards and the ACEC National Recognition Award for its innovative collaboration with Cinco MUD 1 in West Houston to significantly reduce groundwater use and repurpose wasted effluent to water recreational green spaces.
With a mandate from Fort Bend Subsidence District (FBSD) to reduce groundwater usage by 60% in 2025, the project demonstrates how counties can diversify water supply sources while helping local communities steward their natural resources and prepare for future droughts.
It also details utilizing the desalination of brackish groundwater, an alternative water source introduced for the first time in Fort Bend County and a key component of the State of Texas’s long-term water strategy. This represented a groundbreaking step in the Houston area, with BGE’s forward-thinking approach setting a precedent for future water solutions.
“Water scarcity is one of the most pressing challenges communities face today,” said Lee Lennard, President and CEO of BGE, Inc. “Our goal is to help districts and engineers rethink water strategies, deliver innovative infrastructure solutions, and build resilience for future growth.”
About BGE, Inc.
For 50 years, BGE, Inc. has served public and private clients as a full-service, multidiscipline engineering consulting firm with integrated capabilities. BGE delivers a broad range of advisory services, technical expertise and innovative, sustainable solutions to support local, regional and national communities as they shape the future of infrastructure. Backed by five decades of civil engineering leadership, BGE helps our client partners solve their most critical challenges Explore our consulting services and solutions: https://www.bgeinc.com/