HOUSTON — Chris Smith called KHOU 11 for help after getting an $800 water bill from Houston Public Works this summer. He couldn't figure out why it was so high and he wasn't getting answers from the city.
When KHOU 11 started making calls, we also saw how slow and frustrating the process can be.
"This is January $35.70," said Smith, showing a stack of bills on the porch of his home on the south side.
It's just him and his wife in the one-story home, so when his bill spiked to $800 in July, he had lots of questions.
"I don't water the grass, she don't wash her truck at home, the only time we use water is for bathing," Smith said.
Here's a look at the bills Smith has received since March:
- March - $35.73
- April - $42.48
- May - $222.75
- June - $40.46 (estimated)
- July - $803.55
- August - $86.43 (estimated)
- September - $462.11
- October - $127.87 (estimated)
At least three of the lower bills were marked estimated, meaning Houston Public Works didn't have enough manpower to come out and physically read his meter.
"How can you estimate what I'm using for water?" Smith said.
KHOU 11 contacted the city to get answers. They asked us to fill out a disclosure form that includes getting permission from the customer to see information about his account.
A spokeswoman said it would take 10-14 days to respond and after two weeks, the city told us there was an error on the form. We would need to submit a new one, but they said they were working with Smith to resolve the issues.
Meantime, Smith told KHOU 11 News he never heard from the city.
We then asked his Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, District D, to come see his meter and look into the problem.
"It's obvious to me that something is wrong unless people are all of a sudden taking millions of baths all day long and they have two to three swimming pools in their backyards," Evans-Shabazz said.
Later that same afternoon, Public Works sent a technician out to Smith's property and told us there was a leak on his side of the line. A few days later, Director of Public Works Carol Haddock agreed to sit down with us for an interview.
"The process should definitely go faster, and we owe you an apology for that," Haddock said.
She also discussed another problem. The department has been estimating more bills. They've gone from estimating around 7,000 bills in 2020 to now estimating 40,000 every billing cycle. While she didn't talk about specific customer accounts, she told us that estimating can mask the problem.
"The monthly bill that they were getting didn't indicate that they had a problem, so they weren't looking for it, and so when we come back and we get that actual read, then it generates that high bill that creates cause. It would cause me honestly, it would cause me concern if I got that bill as well," Haddock said.
Smith's problem is not fixed. He claims he's checked his house and does not have a leak. Right now, he's appealing his bill, which can take 30 days.
Public Works is making changes.
Haddock tells KHOU 11 they've stopped estimating accounts for more than three months in a row. They're also marking bills more clearly, so customers know their bill was estimated.
City council is expected to discuss water bill relief at their Dec. 6 meeting at City Hall.
If you have a problem and need help, email GraceCanHelp@khou.com, call (713) 521-HELP or fill out the form below.