Meritage Pumps Muck from Pond Being Excavated Straight Into Storm Sewer

4/29/25 – Meritage contractors were caught on camera this afternoon pumping muck from a pond they were excavating straight into a City storm sewer. Such a practice, while not uncommon, can clog storm sewers and raise flood risk for neighbors.

The sequence of six pictures below and a video tell the story. They show the location, men setting up the a pump and hose, then pumping the muck into the storm sewer, and bypassing normal filtration devices. The action took place on Pinehurst Trail Drive in Atascocita. The pond is on the east side of the road in Phase II of the new development.

*Notice two excavators excavating dirt from the pond in the top center. Also notice the low level of water in the swale between the pond and the camera position.*

*A few seconds later, several workers in the lower left started extending a hose OVER the silt fence toward the swale.*

*The hose is still slack as one man kneels to work on the pump.*

*Meanwhile, just feet away on the other side of the pond excavators* stir up the muck.

*Minutes later, the hose is conveying the silt-laden water over the storm fence and around the corner toward the City storm sewer.*

*The hose also bypasses the straw wattle rolls, another filtration device used to keep the storm sewers clear. Notice water shooting out of the hose.*

All of these pictures were taken minutes apart.

A reader who passed the site about an hour later snagged this video that shows the swale filled to the brim as pumping continued.

This is not the first time this month that Meritage was caught pumping stilty stormwater into the City storm sewer. On 4/7/25, they drained a veritable lake that had formed on their Atascocita site after 2.5 inches of rain.

To File a Complaint

Practices like those above are usually discouraged by the Harris County Engineer and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

If you’re concerned about runoff that floods your property or potentially clogs your storm drains, please file a complaint.

Harris County Engineer

Phone: 713-274-3600 Monday Through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM

File a complaint online at: https://epermits.harriscountytx.gov/External_Complaints.aspx

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

For instructions to file a complaint, visit: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/compliance/complaints.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/29/25

2800 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.