‘DRAINED’ results: Houston City Council passes high water bill relief plan

HOUSTON – The Houston City Council passed a high water bill relief plan Wednesday. The push to do something about egregiously high water bills come after more than 18 months of persistence from KPRC 2 Investigates and our ‘DRAINED’ series.

Houston City Council voted on the nine proposed changes that will help customers resolve extremely high water bills when they get them.

Mayor Sylvester Turner pitched the changes along with Public Works after months and months of telling us there were no real problems and saying less than one percent of all bills are inaccurate each month.

Last week, council member Mike Kubosh flagged the vote saying he needed more time to go over the proposals. (Council members received the information late Tuesday when they usually get days to review proposals.)

Changes to water bills in Houston

The City of Houston sent a release after the vote saying, “Following months of public input and careful review by Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Public Works (HPW) and the City of Houston’s Legal Department, City Council today approved historic changes to assist customers with unusually high water bills.”

Here are more details from the City of Houston release on the Houston water bill ordinance changes:

1. 47-74 – Ordinance a customer can apply for a maximum of two leak adjustments per year. Remove the two times per year allowance and allow customers additional relief should multiple leaks occur in one year more than twice.
2. 47-74 – Allows customers adjustment to their water bills at a 50% rate once proof of a leak repair is provided. Incentivize Citizens -100% for customers repairing 30 days after the leak began, 75% for repairing within 60 days after the leak began and standard 50% after 60 days.
3. 47-74 – Customers get 50% credit on excess water usage on both water and wastewater charges. 100% credit on excess wastewater charges. This is based on the idea that a customer water leak usually doesn’t go back through the sewage system.
4. 47-74-1 – Leak Balance Remaining must be greater than $2,000.00 and $250 for elderly customers who meet the eligibility criteria in section 36-62 (1) of this Code. Reduce the leak balance remaining amount from $2,000.00 to $1,000.00 and $250.00 to $100.00 for eligibility qualifiers.
5. 47-75 – Qualified account for ULB adjustment can only be adjusted down to 150% of average water use. Lower customer adjustment amount from 150% to 125% of the monthly average water usage.
6. 47-75-1 an ECA adjustment
   1. a. any billed amount in the excess of five times the average monthly bill
   2. b. account may be reduced by up to $4,000.00 for one occurrence.
   3. c. does not exceed a two-month timeframe.

Changes to this section as follows: a. any billed amount in excess of two times (2x) the average monthly bill b. account may be reduced by up to $10,000.00 for one occurrence. c. does not exceed two billing cycles.

1. 47-61,47-63 - Customers are charged a minimum monthly base fee where a water meter is present because the City must reserve that capacity for the customer. The base charge includes water and wastewater. To avoid charges, a customer is required to pay for a private plumber to remove the meter, cap the line, and then cancel the account (cost approximately $1500). Offer the customer an option to have the meter locked for a one-time fee estimated to be $150, and once the customer account is charged for lock, all base charges will be removed from the account. This change provides a less expensive option for the customer to remove monthly base charges.
2. Benefits of signing up for e-bill. Provide and promote a $.50 discount for each bill for paperless customers.
3. Long-term estimations have resulted in high catch-up bills of up to 24 months. Codify Houston Public Works’ current practice by not back billing for more than 3 months for residential customers.

Council member Mike Knox said it’s a good first step to fixing the water billing problems.

“I was talking to a lady the other day who has a $180,000 water bill. I mean, she lives in a three-bedroom home. Where do you get $180,000? Under the current practices, the best you can do is get half off. That’s $90,000, still well above what she can afford and what she can possibly use,” said Mike Knox, Council member At-Large Position 1. “I think we do owe the citizens of Houston to try to deal with it before we leave office, and then the incoming administration can add to, change, or make it better, which I’m sure or at least I hope they will do.”

RELATED: STEPS TO TAKE IF YOU NEED HELP WITH A HIGH WATER BILL

The proposed changes council will vote on won’t do anything to get to the bottom of the extremely high, unexplained water bills.

“The problem is we’re not addressing the problem.  I would ask Public Service before December 31st, if that’s possible to give us a master plan with cost allocations as to how much money it’ll take us to fix the water meter problems and to fix all the situations that we have that are causing us to go back and do this type of work,” said Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin.

“I’d like to see something with these vendors for the parts. I still feel like the genesis with these issues may lie with the parts of these meters,” said Martha Castex-Tatum.

They will help customers get a resolution that is more fair and less expensive when they get an extraordinarily high bill.

KPRC 2 ‘DRAINED’ Investigation into Houston water bill issues & questionable contracts

KPRC 2 Investigates is not done holding city leaders accountable. Amy Davis uncovered questionable contracts coming out of Houston Public Works related to those frustrating water main breaks you’ve seen around the city.

There is an active Office of the Inspector General investigation into those contracts and city leaders still are not answering any of our questions until that is done.

Investigator Amy Davis, Producer Andrea Slaydon, and the team will continue our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation into water bill issues. Fill out this form if you need help.