DRAINED: One Year Later DRAINED, Drained, Drained One Year Later, Houston water bills, high water bills, KPRC 2 Investigates, Ask Amy, Houston, Texas

DRAINED

KPRC 2 Investigates launched the series in 2022 to get answers for folks with unexplained and outrageous water bills, push for solutions to infrastructure problems, and accountability from Houston city leaders. This is what we've found over the last year.

By the numbers:

Volutpat ac tincidunt vitae semper quis lectus. Neque convallis a cras semper auctor neque vitae. Volutpat sed cras ornare arcu dui vivamus arcu. Natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes nascetur. Facilisis leo vel fringilla est ullamcorper eget nulla facilisi etiam. Neque viverra justo nec ultrices dui sapien eget. Nibh tellus molestie nunc non blandit massa enim. Morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames.

300+ emails and messages

We've gotten hundreds of messages, emails and calls from our viewers struggling with unexplained and outrageous water bills.

$93,349.13

Through our reporting, we've helped 23 people get hundreds or thousands of dollars back in refunds from the city since November 2022.

22 Data Requests

Since September 2022, we've submitted 22 requests for public information. To date, all but six requests have been fulfilled.

Nam libero laoreet sit amet cursus sit, sode ut neque sodales.

Problem

Solution

What steps should you take if you're dealing with water billing problems?

What should you do if you get an unusually high water bill?

Ending up with a high water bill that you don't think you owe can be frustrating and scary, but you aren't alone. We get messages almost daily, but we can't get to everyone's case in time. Here are some steps to take if you end up with an unexplained or outrageous water bill that you don't think you owe.

#1 Take your bill off auto pay

When you get notice of a high bill you should remove the auto payment while the city looks into the issue. It may take the city months to resolve your complaint. If you pay the bill the city will only offer you a credit if they later determine it was inaccurate.

#2 Contact the department

You can call, email or start a chat on the water department website to dispute or ask for a review. Take notes and date them. Also, save any proof that you contacted the city, who you spoke with, and on what day.

#3 Check usage history

Review your water bill. Was your meter reading estimated? If it was, it should say that on the second page under the reading. The city is only allowed to estimate your meter readings three months in a row before they must get out there and read it manually.

cLICK FOR HELP

Send us your questions!

Let us know if you're experiencing any water billing issues or have any tips related to the DRAINED investigation. You can email Amy Davis and Andrea Slaydon or send us a message using the form below!

Contact Amy Davis

Contact Andrea Slaydon

a number

We've communicated with Houston's Public Works Department via email hundreds of times on behalf of customers and to get more information.

30+ stories

In one year, KPRC 2 Investigates has worked on more than thirty different investigations into water billing issues.

What's next:

On Oct. 31, we asked people to join us at a city council public comment hearing to bring their questions and frustrations over the water billing system. 27 DRAINED customers showed up and demanded transparency and accountability. Now we're following up with city leaders to see what plans they have to make this happen.

#4 Inspect your meter

Write down or take a picture of the reading on your meter. The city looks at the first four digits. If the numbers on your bill and the numbers on your meter match or are close proceed to the next step.

#5 Check for leaks

You’ll need to make sure the high-water usage is not from a leak in or around your home. If a plumber finds and fixes any other leaks, you can apply for a leak adjustment, so you don’t have to pay that full bill.

What do city leaders have to say about your concerns?

We're following up with city leaders on how they plan to change the current water billing system. Here's what Mayor Sylvester Turner had to say in response to Amy Davis' questions on Nov. 15, 2023.

Search your council member.

Position 1 - Mike Knox Position 2 - David Robinson Position 3 - Michael Kubosh Position 4 - Letitia Plummer Position 5 - Sallie Alcorn

DRAINED

By the numbers:

500+ emails and messages

We've gotten hundreds of messages, emails and calls from our viewers struggling with unexplained and outrageous water bills.

$93,349.13

Through our reporting, we've helped 23 people get hundreds or thousands of dollars back in refunds from the city since November 2022.

22 Data Requests

Since September 2022, we've submitted 22 requests forr public information. To date, all but six requests have been fulfilled.

cLICK FOR HELP

What should you do if you get an unusually high water bill?

#1 Take your bill off auto pay

#2 Contact the department

#3 Check usage history

Send us your questions!

Contact Amy Davis

Contact Andrea Slaydon

If you can't reach your council person or never hear back from them, follow up with the at-large council members for help. Click on their names for contact information.

DISTRICT A Amy Peck districta@houstontx.gov Thanks for reaching out and for highlighting this topic. It is of extreme importance, and I'm happy to see that you are showing people just how bad it is. Here are my responses to the two issues: 1. I worked on a budget amendment that would have addressed some of the problems with estimating water usage that sometimes results in high bills. It was indicated to me that these changes were already in the works, so I did not submit the amendment. Since it seems that the implementation has stalled, I intend to advocate for these changes as we move forward. I am also pushing for the installation of the devices to allow for electronic meter readings so that customers can see usage in real time and can be alerted if there is an issue as it is happening. I have even offered to use Council District Service Funds to expedite this conversion. 2. This is not okay. We should definitely pause any potentially fraudulent companies from making money off taxpayers and thoroughly investigate this.

Tarsha Jackson District B districtb@houstontx.gov Amy, Thank you for reaching out to me about the water bill crisis. Our office's first responsibility is to our constituents. We take our service to our constituents very seriously. In fact, my office probably does the most to promote our availability and ability to help them navigate the city. We have a postcard we distribute at every civic club, super neighborhood, every community meeting we attend urging them to call 311, then to call our office. We also stress this in our weekly newsletter. People can call, text or email us And they do. We are helping several constituents with high water bills. It's not an easy task. But we've had several successes. Just last week, we got a bill reduced from $17,000 to $70. And this week, Public Works agreed to cancel the $1,800 balance that was keeping GLO from rebuilding our constituent's home. But you're right that we can't just focus on helping people bill by bill. We need real change at Public Works. I am seeing some signs of improvement, most importantly being the hiring of Randy Macchi as Chief Operating Officer in March 2023. I am encouraged by his worldview that asking people to pay half of an exorbitant bill due to an undetected leak is not fair. And beyond that, I think we need to have more frequent meter readings. I look forward to working with the next mayor on adding more personnel to the budget. CM Jackson

Abbie Kamin District C districtc@houstontx.gov Regarding the second part of your email, that's the first we're hearing of this but it's extremely concerning. Related to water bills, the Council Member has spoken with department executive staff about her concerns and to understand what the overarching challenges are for the department/what is being done to address it. The council member also continues to advocate for technological improvements and equipment that will increase accuracy. It is important to help our individual residents with their unique problems and situations, bills can have a significant impact on the wallets of hard working residents--their needs shouldn't be lost in a policy debate. If you haven't done so, we strongly urge you to reach out to the Chair of the TTI committee for additional feedback and info as that's the committee with this purview. Warm regards, Kate Dentler Chief of Staff Office of Council Member Abbie Kamin, District C

Carolyn Evans-Shabazz District D districtd@houstontx.gov Of course, I am greatly concerned. I plan to ask the Mayor on Monday for a water task force to deal directly with this exacerbating problem and for a moratorium. He was not at the meeting. Obviously there is a problem that needs more than an appeal process although I encourage people to exhaust those means as well. Thank you for highlighting these concerns that are a great challenge to us all. Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz Councilmember - District D

Mary Nan Huffman District G districtg@houstontx.gov “Our office is dedicated to addressing individual concerns related to high water bills by actively engaging with Houston Water on your behalf. If you’ve ever experienced an exceptionally high-water bill, you’re not alone. As someone who experienced an outrageous bill myself, I understand the frustration and alarm it incites. My office works diligently to advocate for residents in similar situations by requesting that that water department place a hold on the account of affected residents. This allows a thorough investigation to be conducted until discrepancies are identified and resolved. I urge residents to contact my office if you receive an unusually high water bill: 832-393-3007 or districtg@houstontx.gov. A separate component of this problem relates to why our water bills are so high in the first place. I have been a vocal advocate of using federal funds received by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to offset the scheduled annual rate increases that were approved before I was elected to city council. These rate increases are the result of a $2 billion agreement between the EPA and the city of Houston to upgrade our wastewater infrastructure. I was pleased to hear at today’s city council meeting that Mayor Turner will soon be providing City Council with a report detailing the IIJA dollars that Houston has received so far. I will continue to press this administration, and the next administration, to prioritize using these funds on projects which will reduce our high water rates.”

Dave Martin District E districte@houstontx.gov "The questions submitted are being worked on by Houston Public Works, at the time I receive the answers to the questions posed, I will make them available as stated in the email to Corley attached. The District E Office continues to respond to all district water bill issues as they are received on a case by case basis."

Tiffany Thomas District F districtf@houstontx.gov This is extremely concerning.

Karla Cisneros District H districth@houstontx.gov Thank you for reaching out and for your advocacy for so many Houston residents, including the at least two District H constituents that have had challenges with unusually high water bills. My team has been in direct contact with the individuals who came before Council, as well as other district residents with similar issues. After gathering information from the residents, we have engaged Houston Water and HPW leadership to facilitate resolutions and ensure water service remains available while accounts are under review. The information about the OIG investigation is news to me, and if true, is outrageous and illegal. I support the OIG's work to uncover the facts and take appropriate action.

Sallie Alcorn At-Large Position 5 atlarge5@houstontx.gov We often hear from water department customer service representatives that they are limited in what they can do to assist customers based on the parameters set forth in Chapter 47 of the Code of Ordinances. It has been ten years since City Council made significant changes to the city's rules associated with bill adjustments. We need to revisit these rules to streamline processes and build in some flexibility so customer service reps may make common sense adjustments. Further, I am frustrated to learn that many residents who subscribe to high water usage alerts are not receiving them, thereby preventing them from reacting quickly to potential billing concerns. Many residents are also facing long response times and discourteous city staff - an unacceptable level of customer service for Houstonians. I have scheduled a meeting with the public works director and key water department staff to discuss these matters. As for the allegations on the water line repair contracts, I am alarmed and concerned. I reached out to the public works director who told me this matter was under investigation by the Office of Inspector General. I have asked the city attorney for an update on the investigation.

Robert Gallegos District I districti@houstontx.gov No response.

Edward Pollard District J districtj@houstontx.gov "Thanks for your email. Council Member Pollard is not giving comments on this issue at this time." Misty Starks Director of Communications City of Houston District J

Martha Castex-Tatum District K districtk@houstontx.gov Good morning. Thank you for assisting with the water bill concerns. Unfortunately we have several concerns that need to be addressed. We have a staff person in our office who is walking our constituents through the process of resolving their concerns with their bills. The staff at the water department has been helpful in resolving these issues. This is a work in progress and I hope residents who have questions with their bills will call their council offices for assistance with navigating the process. It will require patience to work through some of the concerns that may be more involved or require meter replacements. We have asked for a status report of the residents who have expressed concerns thus far from the water department and anticipate receiving that report. On the other issue, I reached out to Director Haddock when I received your email and she told me she immediately sent this issue to the OIG. Regards, Martha

Mike Knox At-Large Position 1 atlarge1@houstontx.gov "The public thinks that council members have some authority over this. And we do not. The city charter prohibits CMs from directing the activities of any department. We can not force the water department to do anything. Only the Mayor can do that. We have to rely on the information provided by Department Directors."

David Robinson At-Large Position 2 atlarge2@houstontx.gov No response.

Michael Kubosh At-Large Position 3 atlarge3@houstontx.gov I have been dealing with overcharged water bills since the Parker administration. I have asked that I be put over water bill review and resolutions as an elected official. NO RESPONSE on the idea by Parker or Turner. I was taken in the back room during Council meeting and explained that the Water Revenue Bonds had a covenant that had to be followed. I was never given the Water Revenue Bond covenant. This is Egregious and how you were treated by Mayor Turner was an embarrassment. Sorry you had to face such mis- treatment . Thanks for shining the light on this injustice.

Letitia Plummer At-Large Position 4 atlarge4@houstontx.gov Since the charter and specific ordinances limit the actions that Council Members can take, it would need amendments to the ordinances for Council to be able to take action. These amendments will be possible with the next administration due to the passing of Prop A, which allows Council Members to place items on the agenda with the support of three members. It seems that the manufacturer of the smart meters needs to be further scrutinized as it appears that the meters are faulty or our aging infrastructure does not support smart meters. We don't know if metrics are collected by HPW. They should be, at least all the draft manuals that were written in 2014 and prior say that. There are no definitive manuals just drafts that have not been updated since. Documents are emailed but these are not available in a manual format or centralized location. Metrics are not shared with City Council. We have been hearing for a long time about these extremely high water bills. There needs to be a -A moratorium -An audit of the water department (processes, functions, calls etc) -Either the customer service needs to be outsourced to a reputable company or the water department needs to be available for in-person inquiries. If limited spacing is an issue then use the multi-service centers in every district, once a week where residents have the opportunity to speak to someone in person. Now, they are at breaking point and having to share personal and intimate details of their lives at public session which is humiliating and inappropriate. Regarding the controversial contract, We receive a 300 page agenda on Friday with ordinances, contracts, work orders etc. on any of the items, a number of people, contractors and subcontractors can be listed. While our Chiefs do an excellent job of flagging items for us, it is impossible to research everyone mentioned. It is up to the department to do due diligence before sending something for approval before the council.

What do city leaders have to say about your concerns?

We're following up with city leaders on how they plan to change the current water billing system. Here's what Mayor Sylvester Turner had to say to Amy Davis on Nov. 15, 2023.

Search your council member.

Right now, only six current council members will remain in their roles. We will update this after runoff elections on Dec. 9.