Egrets are a problem that have plagued much of North Texas; ruining paint jobs, staining sidewalks and making a mark.
The Colony is taking pity on neighbors who are stuck with the federally protected birds so they're giving a 50-percent reduction on water bills to make sure cleaning up the mess left by the burdensome birds is not breaking bank accounts.
Edward Rojo, 17, spends around 30 to 40 minutes almost every day washing down his family’s front yard, sidewalks and walkway of egret feces that never seems to end.
“It’s just like every day I come out here to wash it, you get pooped on so I always have to wear a hood now and get pooped on,” Edward said. “They should give us the money back for our water because we are using it so much and they want it clean out here.”
Beyond the obvious feces issue, the birds are causing more havoc.
“I really think it is the mess, because some days there will be dead birds right there in our yard and dead fish and frogs from whatever they eat,” Edward said. “It just smells the whole yard. I really hate the smell of it.”
“It’s like ‘Night of the Living Dead’ out there just with egrets instead of zombies,” The Colony City Manager Troy Powell said in a City Council meeting.
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City leaders hope to have the water rate reduction in place for affected residents in about a week. It would be a first for the city.
City crews have been street sweeping twice a week and have picked up more than 100 dead birds. City officials are also working to get a discounted enzyme solution to help residents dissolve the issues on feces-stained streets and cars.
Community Services Director Pam Nelson explained there is no set time for the rate reduction to end. It will continue until the birds are gone for the season.
Homeowners are encouraged to trim back trees when the birds leave to lessen the likelihood of the same issues next year.
