CROSBY, TEXAS — Harris County filed a court action against the Roving Meadows wastewater operator regarding sewage complaints. The county is asking a judge to permanently stop sewage from flowing into the neighborhood.

Harris County Attorney Abby Kamin stated the wastewater operator, registered as Roving Meadows Utilities, was operating without proper licensing. "The operator isn’t actually licensed by TCEQ," she said. Harris County stated the operator lacked required licensed personnel to operate the wastewater treatment facility despite state permit renewals.

Residents reported raw sewage flooding yards and backing into homes in the Roving Meadows neighborhood. "The sewage literally flooded my whole backyard," a resident said. When asked how long the issues had been occurring, the resident responded: "Since I’ve been here, that’s 17 years." A resident described sewage contents including snakes, bugs, human feces, and animal feces.

"Everything from snakes to bugs to we’ve had human feces, animal feces. We’ve had everything out here," the resident said.

Investigators found a drainage area covered by a wooden pallet instead of a secure concrete cover. Some residents expressed fear of retaliation for speaking about the sewage issues. A resident cited verbal threats on their property and lack of water as concerns. "Lack of water, to being threatened verbally on our property," the resident said.

"We’re grappling with an outdated, antiquated system of regulation. That’s got to be addressed head on for the safety of residents here in Texas," Kamin said. Residents requested clean water, a permanent fix to sewage problems, and accountability.

Harris County has repeatedly cited Roving Meadows Utilities for water quality violations, with inspections revealing E. coli levels more than 1,000 times the legal limit and raw sewage leaking onto the ground between March 2021 and January 2025. According to reports, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued a cease-and-desist order to Roving Meadows Utilities in 2023 for operating without a valid wastewater discharge permit.

Harris County is a county in Texas with a recorded population of 4,092,459. Texas had a population of 29,243,342 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey. Reportedly, Harris County has a 15-year history of enforcing water quality regulations against non-compliant wastewater facilities, with 23 legal actions taken against such entities between 2010 and 2025.