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How do you really know how much water you are using? We put water usage monitoring device to the test

‘DRAINED’ Investigation into Houston water bill issues

KPRC 2 'DRAINED' Investigation looks into water bill issues in Houston. One common complaint comes from people who don't believe they used the amount of water the city claims they used. Investigator Amy Davis put a water usage meter to the test. (Andrea Slaydon, Copyright 2023 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

For the last year KPRC 2 Investigates has heard the same complaint from hundreds of water customers ‘DRAINED’ by huge water bills. They all say there’s *no way* they used the amount of water the city is charging them for. But when your water meter shows you have used hundreds of thousands of gallons of water there is no real way to refute it, until now. Investigative reporter Amy Davis shows one way to test the city’s reading.

James York owns Southern Plumbing. As he watched our ‘DRAINED’ Investigations he had an idea.

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“It was intriguing, your story, and so I thought well, maybe this will help with a lot of the confusion,” said York.

The Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff made by Moen is made to detect leaks in your home and alert you to avoid water damage. But because it calculates all of the water that flows into your home York thought it could work to confirm or refute the city’s water meter.

KPRC 2 'DRAINED' Investigation looks into water bill issues in Houston. One common complaint comes from people who don't believe they used the amount of water the city claims they used. Investigator Amy Davis put a water usage meter to the test. (Copyright 2023 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

“You would be able to know for sure what you’re using and then you would be able to check that against what the city of Houston is charging you,” said York.

York’s crews installed one of the devices on my home in July.

“People don’t think a lot about the water in their house until they have a problem with that water,” said Mason Hall, Head of connected products at Moen.

The head of connected products at Moen, Mason Hall, told us the device can even show you where you are using the most water in your house. [More from Moen here.]

“It actually can provide you consumption information down to the type of fixtures you have in your home. So, whether that be a shower, a faucet, an appliance, like a washing machine.”

After the installation you connect the device to your Wi-Fi and then download the Flo by Moen app. For the first 30 days, the device is learning your habits. For example, when your family bathes or you’re cooking or doing the dishes or washing clothes. Every time you turn on the water anywhere in your house the device is keeping track.

KPRC 2 'DRAINED' Investigation looks into water bill issues in Houston. One common complaint comes from people who don't believe they used the amount of water the city claims they used. Investigator Amy Davis put a water usage meter to the test. (Copyright 2023 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

When Amy’s son showered for 8 minutes, he used just over 22 gallons of water.

Flushing the toilet uses about 1.9 gallons of water.

Every night the device runs a health test and sends you a notification if it detects a leak, no matter how small. It helped Amy find a drip in a bathtub we hadn’t used in months. If the device detects a large leak or abnormal amount of water usage it would send you an alert. If you don’t respond the device shuts off the water supply to your home to protect you and your property.

KPRC 2 'DRAINED' Investigation looks into water bill issues in Houston. One common complaint comes from people who don't believe they used the amount of water the city claims they used. Investigator Amy Davis put a water usage meter to the test. (Copyright 2023 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)
KPRC 2 'DRAINED' Investigation looks into water bill issues in Houston. One common complaint comes from people who don't believe they used the amount of water the city claims they used. Investigator Amy Davis put a water usage meter to the test. (Copyright 2023 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

“Annual household leaks accumulate to a massive amount of water waste every year,” said Hall.

Amy said at her house the water measured by the device matched what the city showed. While she questioned some of her bills the readings from the device never showed she was using hundreds of thousands of gallons, like some homeowners. The Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff runs about $500.

Moen and Southern Plumbing worked together to help us show you how all of this works.

If you are reading this looking for help, here are 5 steps to take the minute you get a water bill you don’t think you owe.

We will not stop our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation until we get more answers for you about the water bill issues in our city. Email Investigator Amy Davis and Producer Andrea Slaydon if you need help. You can also look through the many ‘DRAINED’ stories we have done to see if you can find the help you need there.


About the Authors
Amy Davis headshot

Passionate consumer advocate, mom of 3, addicted to coffee, hairspray and pastries.

Andrea Slaydon headshot

Award-winning TV producer and content creator. My goal as a journalist is to help people. Faith and family motivate me. Running keeps me sane.

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