November 25, 2025
Great news, as promised, our independent third-party financial audit for 2024 has been completed and we are sharing the results with you https://wowsc.org/documents/778/WOWSC_2024_Audit.pdf
Some results include:
- The 2024 audit shows the system operated under financial strain all year, with many expenses exceeding the approved budget amount.
- WOWSC operated at a deficit of –$277,716 at the end of 2024.
- Our water assets at the end of 2024 were 80% depreciated, meaning they are at or near the end of their useful life.
- The 80% depreciation means that we have $1,051,370 in accumulated depreciation against $1,295,114 in total asset cost (keep in mind this was a year ago).
- Depreciation amounts are based directly on prior Boards’ tax returns and financial records, which the independent CPA audit carried forward to year-end 2024.
To put the 80% depreciation into perspective: when you depend on infrastructure that’s worn out and at end-of-life, you’re essentially rolling the dice on when the next major failure will happen and with water and wastewater, those failures are not small.
Regarding the sale to CSWR, there’s talk about seeking other bids from Corix and Aqua from a small group of members. Corix and Aqua are both neighboring utilities with history here: Corix operated our system from 2018–2023, during which those years we received multiple TCEQ notices and violations and in late 2023 they terminated their service contract with us. In 2020 Aqua presented to the members on what a possible buyer/operator looks like for our utility and members voiced concerns about rates and customer service, many of the same individuals are now advocating to consider them, one must wonder their motives. Ultimately, the Public Utility Commission of Texas will decide based on the facts, its independent appraisal, engineering analysis, the required upgrades, and who is financially capable of completing them. Also, anyone hoping that “other bids” would put more money in their pocket needs to understand that no buyer including Corix or Aqua can change that legal requirements that as a 501(c)(12) nonprofit and our own bylaws prohibit distributing profits, income, or dividends to members - hence the equity-buy-in refund.
This new Board just appointed in 2025 truly cares deeply about this neighborhood (collectively, the five Board members have lived here for almost 100 years) and wants to move this community forward and put the divisiveness behind us. We have no ulterior motives but to simply get back to being a community that supports one another and let the professionals operate a utility that provides us with safe drinking water and infrastructure we can depend on at reasonable rates dictated by the PUC - contrary to rumors of $600 water utility bills which is purely fabrications of the real facts https://wowsc.org/documents/778/CSWR_Charges.pdf.
Let's move this community forward, together. Have a wondeful Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones.
WOWSC Board of Directors
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
November 16, 2025
Good morning, Members,
We ask that you read this message carefully, as it addresses several misleading statements recently circulated about the proposed sale of our water system and provides clarity on the steps your Board has taken to finally bring transparency, accountability, and professionalism to the utility.
Recently, many of you received a letter mailed using the WOWSC return address and left unsigned—creating the false impression that it came from the Board. It did not. It was sent by the former President (2019–2023). This kind of tactic highlights exactly why this community has struggled for so long and why we must choose a healthier path forward. Your current Board is committed to facts, openness, and responsible decision-making.
For years before this Board took office, the WOWSC faced internal infighting, inconsistent leadership, and decisions that diverted money away from infrastructure and benefitted only a select few. During those years, TCEQ violations accumulated Link to TCEQ Violations lines and valves deteriorated, system maps disappeared, and essential maintenance was ignored. Much of what we are now required to fix occurred between 2019 and 2023 and was never disclosed to the membership. (See Gimenez Letter to TCEQ).
Since stepping in, your Board has worked aggressively to uncover, understand, and correct these inherited issues. We discovered multiple TCEQ violations that had not been reported to the members.
To move the system in the right direction, we have secured a professional engineering consultant to perform the first full system evaluation in Windermere’s history. This comprehensive review covers distribution lines, valves, mapping, lift stations, the clarifier, and the effluent field. Preliminary conversations with the consultant reviewing detailed TCEQ reports reflect the clarifier alone will cost at least $500,000 to replace, and TCEQ is requiring new fencing around 24 acres of the effluent field. These improvements should have been done years ago but were not, even though loan money was borrowed for that purpose. Don't take my word for it, read former President of the WOWSC from 2019-2023 testimony submitted in 2020 in the PUC Rate Appeal with form GM Burriss estimates to repair system which were never completed with the CoBank funds- click on link to read GM George Burriss testimony in PUC Rate Appeal on infrastructure cost.
Additionally, this engineering evaluation is required by TCEQ whether or not the sale occurs. Without the sale, every dollar of these mandated upgrades will fall directly on the membership through higher rates, surcharges, and assessments easily exceeding $2,000 per household, and likely more.
Your Board has also begun the process of restoring financial accuracy. For the first time in years, an internal audit—mandated by the PUC—is being completed and will be filed this coming week. We will share it with the membership as soon as it is submitted. We have been discussing these issues since March at regular Board meetings and sending out newsletters which are all saved on our website however only fewer than 0.5% of members consistently attend meetings and we never get emails from our newsletter. Even so, we have remained 100% transparent throughout this process, and we invite every member to review the full record.
Additionally, our new bookkeeping team has uncovered significant financial mismanagement under prior boards. Records were not maintained according to standard accounting practices, requiring extensive cleanup. Revenue was misclassified, including standby fees, for example they have been allocated as member income, even though those paying standby fees are not members.
Some members have expressed concerns about CSWR’s online reviews. To put this into perspective, every major service provider—hospitals, banks, H-E-B, airlines, electric cooperatives and yes water utilities have negative online comments. What truly matters is the regulatory record. The former president is actually supporting we entertain selling our system to Corix or Aqua Texas both with base rates above $200 and list of regulatory issues at the PUC, specifically;
- Aqua Texas – Formal PUC complaint for reckless practices and over-pumping:
https://ourwaterourtexas.com/public-utility-commission/ - Corix Utilities – Documented $3,000 bills, brown water, and repeated PUC complaints:
https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/search/filings?controlNumber=56871
On the other hand CSWR has an excellent reputation with the PUC
- CSWR-Texas – No PUC, TCEQ, EPA, or AG enforcement actions in the last five years:
https://centralstateswaterresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/0241ccc76fc34a42a1514c7835f3307e.pdf
The Public Utility Commission has stated that CSWR “does not have a history of continuing mismanagement or misuse of revenues.”
Windermere’s current challenges did not begin with this Board. They stem from years of neglected maintenance, undisclosed violations, financial disarray, and postponed upgrades. This Board is the first to confront these issues head-on, bring them into the open, and give members a real choice about the future. This is our water system - why would any board hide information like TCEQ violations....one must ponder that question.
And if that's not enough for reasons to sell this utility to CSWR, the PUC has placed us under their authority for the next four years because previous leadership failed to operate the WSC in compliance with nonprofit requirements between 2019–2023. This will include hiring attorneys to complete all the mandated filings such as financial reporting, audits, approval of tariffs, bylaws and the list goes on. The path forward is simple and this decision will determine whether our community continues carrying these burdens alone or transitions responsibility to a professional operator with the resources, staff, and expertise to handle them properly. The facts and evidence speak for themselves.
For any questions, we have created a FAQ section on our website — please click here FAQ for detailed answers.
Finally, we want to thank the many members who have expressed strong, positive support for placing this utility in professional hands and allowing Windermere to take a meaningful step toward reliability and stability. Your encouragement affirms what we believe: this community is ready for a fresh start, a dependable system, and a future we can all be proud of.
We wish each of you a wonderful and peaceful Thanksgiving with your families, friends, and loved ones.
Thank you,
Windermere Oaks Water Supply Corporation
Board of Directors
