George Strong
Vice President

George Strong, a resident of Crystal Beach, is semi-retired. Strong attends Bay Vue United Methodist Church, is a member of the Board of Directors and is the Secretary of the Emerald Beach I property owners association. He is a member of the Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Lighthouse Crew. Prior to moving to Crystal Beach Strong owned and operated George Strong and Associates (GS&A) in Houston. GS&A provided lobbying, campaign consulting, grassroots lobbying and communications services. As a political analyst, Strong is often quoted in the Houston newspapers and on various talk radio stations including News Talk station KTRH. Strong is a native of South Dakota, graduated from South Dakota State University and has a master degree from the University of Denver.


Vicki Cartwright
Secretary

Vicki Cartwright moved full time to the Bolivar Peninsula in 2002 and opened Sand-Dollar Tax and Financial Services. She had previously spent 25 years in accounting, working for accounting firms and for private industry. She is an active volunteer on the Peninsula and currently acts as Treasurer of the Bolivar Peninsula Church of Christ, Treasurer of Lighthouse Chapter of Women's Celebration, Treasurer of the Canal City Property Owners Association, Chairman of the Jesse Tree’s Bolivar Peninsula Advisory Board, and is a member of the Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Cartwright attended Victoria College and the University of Houston. She and her husband of forty years, Larry, have two children and two grandchildren. Ms. Cartwright enjoys riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, reading, gardening, and singing with her praise and worship band, the Sanctuary Sisters.

Al Altemus
Treasurer

Al Altemus has served over 20 years as a Director of B.P.S.U.D. He has owned property on the peninsula since 1967 and became a permanent resident in 1981 after his retirement from Sysco Corporation. Al is also a member of the Eagles Aerie and Knights of Columbus.


Jack Blume
Director

Jack Blume is the owner of J.B.’s Seafood in Crystal Beach. He has been a resident of the peninsula for over 30 years. Mr. Blume has been married to his wife, Cindy, for 34 years and they are the parents of two adult sons, Jack and Derek. Mr. Blume is also a member of Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church.


Roger Welch
Director

Mr. Welch is the owner of Crystal Beach Plant Farm in Crystal Beach. He is a member of the Bolivar Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and resides permanently on the Peninsula.

Dennis Stafford
Director

Dennis Stafford and his wife, Becky, have owned property on the Peninsula since 1987 and made Crystal Beach their permanent residence in 2004. Dennis retired after 33 years of service with Texaco / Shell in Houston. He graduated from Lamar University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Dennis is also actively involved with the Emerald Beach Property Owners Association.

Hollis Gassen
Director

Brad Vratis
Director

Larry Webb
Director

Our Staff

General Manager
e-mail:

Barbara Cowie
Office Manager
e-mail: barbara@bpsud.com

Barbara began her career with Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District in 1991 as a Customer Service Representative. She was promoted to her current position of Office Manager in 1994.

Barbara has been a resident of the Bolivar Peninsula for over 40 years. She and her husband, Roger, have two married sons, Steven and Jeffrey, and are enjoying their two granddaughters, Destiny and Dana. Barbara is a member of the First Baptist Church in Crystal Beach and is active in the church choir and teaches children’s Sunday School.

Kenny Strimple
Plant and Field Manager
e-mail: kenny@bpsud.com

Kenny’s career with Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District began in March of 1989 as a member of the Field Crew. He earned his Operator’s License from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 1990 and was promoted to a System Operator at that time. In 1998 Kenny was promoted to Plant Foreman. Then, in 1999, Kenny was appointed Plant and Field Manager where he oversees the Field Crew and the System Operators for the District.

Kenny is a lifetime resident of the Peninsula. He currently resides on the Peninsula with his wife, Rosie, and their three dogs, Hooch, Sophie and Rudy and their three cats, Lily, Abby and Fitz. Kenny and Rosie raised two children, Jessica and Hunter, who have both completed college and are currently living on their own.

Clifford Howard
Utility Systems Manager
e-mail: clifford@bpsud.com

Clifford started working for BPSUD in May 1992 as a meter reader. He was promoted to Assistant Plant Operator in 1996 and to Plant Operator in 1999. As the District grew and became more automated, Clifford trained in computer technology and was made the District’s Technology Specialist in 2002. In 2005, he was promoted to his current position of Utility Systems Manager where he oversees computer automation, plant instrumentation, daily plant operations, and meter reading.

Clifford attended College of the Mainland where he received a computer certification in Novell and Cisco. He has a Class C Operator’s License and a Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester endorsement issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. He is a fifteen year resident of Port Bolivar where he resides with his partner Sarom, and his two cats, CC and Tux.

Bolivar Peninsula Special Utility District Service Area

District Boundaries ~ Galveston County

The District encompasses an area of approximately 60 square miles in Galveston County. The District's service area includes the communities of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplan, Gilchrist and High Island. The District currently serves 6000 service connections throughout the Peninsula.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What do I do if I am experiencing low pressure?
Answer: First, check your meter and surrounding area for possible leaks. Second, call our office and report low pressure for your area.

Question: Why is my water milky in color?
Answer: A repair could have been completed recently allowing air to enter the line, causing the milky look.

Question: What chemicals does BPSUD add to the water?
Answer: Chlorine and liquid ammonia sulphate.

Question: Why does my water taste, look and smell funny?
Answer: Once there has been an interruption in service (line breaks and water flow has stopped) this sensitive chemical (chlorine) releases an odor and smell that will take several days to clear up.

Question: My water tastes, looks and smells funny, is it safe to drink?
Answer: All public water systems in the state of Texas are required to maintain a minimum chlorine level of 0.5 (tested at the end of the system) by state law. We maintain a level of 1.5 through 2.5 at the source (tested at the beginning of the system). Our chlorine levels are tested daily to ensure safety. Unless you hear of a "boil water" notice from an emergency situation, your water will always be safe to drink.

Question: Why does my hot water smell funny?
Answer: Most likely your water heater needs to be flushed. This should be done once a year. CAUTION: If you plan on doing this yourself, read the owners manual to keep from being harmed and/or damaging the water heater.

Question: Why does it have a "previous balance" when I know I sent my payment?
Answer: We may have received it after the due date or we may not have received it at all. Call our office and we will help you solve this problem.

Question: I couldn't have used this much water!
Answer: You may not have - numbers can be transposed or hard to read. We can fix it! Or, you could have a leaky toilet that's difficult to detect. Just call the office, we'll help you figure it out!