Utility district gets new office in Lumberton

After three decades and with its service area growing daily, the Lumberton Municipal Utility District office has outgrown its four walls and is starting over with an energy-efficient building.

In the next few weeks, the 30-member staff will pack up and move from West Chance Cutoff Road to 625 FM 421.

District Manager Roger Fussell, who has been with the agency 14 years, said that from 2000 to 2008, their 63-square-mile coverage area saw a new house or connection per day. The district, which covers Lumberton and Kountze ISD, has grown substantially in the past 35 years, Fussell said. The current building was constructed when the district had fewer than 10 employees.

"Once we've moved out and organized and can find out how to turn on the coffee pot we'll probably put this one up for sale," he said.

Fussell said they took in mind that they wouldn't want to construct another building for another 30 years, so they built the new one with room for growth.

The additional space can be used for storage until it's needed, if the area continues to expand as it has over the years.

"We wanted it to meet our needs for now and future," he said.

The new office is a state-of-the-art facility, he said, Administration decided to do something no one else -that he's aware of - has done in Southeast Texas with an office building. MUD will harvest rainwater from its roof and recycle that to use to irrigate its landscape.

"Even though we're the water company, we want to show there are alternative means to watering the grass," he said.

All the lights in the building are LED and the structure is storm rated, allowing it to have its own auxiliary power in case a hurricane were to come through.

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Utility district gets new office in Lumberton