HOUSTON – Since our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation, KPRC 2 is now seeing some relief for customers.
- Brad Jackson of Rice Village received an alarming water bill in September showing he used more than four times the water he typically uses monthly. He called the city to dispute the bill but customer account representatives told him he owed the money. In October, he showed up at City Council with more than 2 dozen water customers and KPRC 2 Investigates to appeal to council members. That didn’t work either. But, on Jan. 14, when he followed up one more time by email, he received a credit of $765.56.
- Water customer Christina Kent came to the same Oct. 31 council meeting to appeal an $18,000 water bill that the Houston water department told her she had to pay for the last year and a half. Finally, on Friday, Jan. 19, a city representative told her to drop the balance on her water account and refund her more than $4,000.00 in charges she had overpaid.
- Mary Gilmore in Kingwood also received a phone call from water customer account services on Jan. 19 about the bills she has disputed since July 2022.
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“I received a call from the City of Houston water representative Juan Ruiz on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. Ruiz informed me that my water bill has been viewed and adjusted, although no explanation was given for the unusually high fees. However, I am thrilled to share that the outstanding balance of $3,125.98 has been eliminated. Additionally, I was informed that I will be receiving a reimbursed $1,004.54 in two weeks; overpaid on my account,” Gilmore wrote to investigative reporter Amy Davis.
Houston Public Works public information officer Erin Jones told Amy that the water department has reviewed many accounts in dispute since the City Council approved 9 ordinance changes at the Dec. 13, 2023 meeting that gave representatives more flexibility to resolve customers’ bills.
“As of Jan. 10, 2024, Customer Account Services (CAS) processed adjustments for 1,621 accounts for high bill relief, which amounts to $1.87 million in credits on accounts that applied for high water bill relief before Dec. 13, 2023. As a point of clarification, these adjustments are not corrections, but the direct result of these much-needed ordinance changes. CAS has received 2,300 new requests for high water bill relief since the ordinance changes were approved.”
The big takeaway: Dispute your high bill again
All of this is to say that if you have a water bill you don’t think you owe, you should call the water department and dispute it. Even if you disputed it before Dec. 13 and you are waiting for the city to call you back, now is the time to try again.
More changes coming
Mayor John Whitmire says he wants to bring some much-needed relief and prevent these types of unexplained, high bills. We were expecting to learn all of the details at Wednesday’s City Council meeting, but the announcement has been delayed. The Mayor says he is “putting the finishing touches on a plan that should give real relief to customers.”
KPRC 2 Investigates will keep you updated and bring you all of the details as soon as we get them.
