A district may provide services outside its boundaries in some cases, but it must get city consent before serving city territory and cannot serve certain areas without the required consent or certificate rules.
Sec. 49.215. SERVICE TO AREAS OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT. (a) A district may purchase, construct, acquire, own, operate, repair, improve, or extend all works, improvements, facilities, plants, equipment, and appliances necessary to provide any services or facilities authorized to be provided by the district to areas contiguous to or in the vicinity of the district provided the district does not duplicate a service or facility of another public entity. A district providing potable water and sewer utility services to household users shall not provide services or facilities to serve areas outside the district that are also within the corporate limits of a city without securing a resolution or ordinance of the city granting consent for the district to serve the area within the city. (b) To secure money for this purpose, a district is authorized to issue and sell negotiable bonds and notes payable from the levy and collection of ad valorem taxes on all taxable property within the district or from all or any designated part of the revenues received from the operation of the district's works, improvements, facilities, plants, equipment, and appliances or from a combination of taxes and revenues. (c) Any bonds and notes may be issued upon the terms and conditions set forth in this code. (d) A district shall not be required to hold a certificate of convenience and necessity as a precondition for providing retail water or sewer service to any customer or service area, notwithstanding the fact that such customer or service area may be located either within or outside the boundaries of the district or has previously received water or sewer service from an entity required by law to hold a certificate of convenience and necessity as a precondition for such service. This subsection does not authorize a district to provide services within an area for which a retail public utility holds a certificate of convenience and necessity or within the boundaries of another district without that district's consent, unless the district has a valid certificate of convenience and necessity to provide services to that area. (e) A district is authorized to establish, maintain, revise, charge, and collect the rates, fees, rentals, tolls, or other charges for the use, services, and facilities that provide service to areas outside the district that are considered necessary and may be higher than those charged for comparable service to users within the district. (f) The rates, fees, rentals, tolls, or other charges shall be at least sufficient to meet the expense of operating and maintaining the services and facilities for a water and sanitary sewer system serving areas outside the district and to pay the principal of and interest and redemption price on bonds issued to purchase, construct, acquire, own, operate, repair, improve, or extend the services or facilities. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 715, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.