Water worries for the City of Conroe and surrounding areas are in the courts and the hands of elected officials, who are trying to manage the needs of one of the fastest-growing areas of Texas.
The city last year put a temporary halt to new development on the north side of town because there isn't enough capacity to deliver water everywhere it's needed, so lots of new infrastructure is on the way, but that takes lots of time.
And the city has been squabbling with some neighbors over management of water in the area, as tempers flare and impatience sets in.
Conroe City Council meets on Thursday and will likely make a decision on whether to extend the ban on development or rescind it -- or just modify it -- and there could even be a decision on some ongoing litigation with the San Jacinto River Authority, manager of Lake Conroe, which is practically next door. (The City of Houston also has rights to Lake Conroe as a major water source.)
"They're going to have a discussion on that litigation and maybe have a resolution to it," says Greater Houston Builders Association Government Affairs Director Cody Miller, who's watching the action closely.
Conroe was also sued last week by the City of Willis, which is concerned about Conroe's handling of water delivered to one of it's schools.
Miller says the moratorium has been hitting lenders, banks and other local businesses.
"In the meantime, a lot of our developers who are in that moratorium area are building their own water wells or donating land to the city for water wells."