HOUSTON — Houston City Council is expected to take on water bill relief when they meet Wednesday at City Hall. Many of you have called our Consumer Investigative Reporter Grace White for help with your bills.
Nine proposals would help customers who've been hit with unusually high water bills, including some for tens of thousands of dollars.
"I went from an average of $20 to $40 water bills to receiving a surprising $833 water bill in October 2023. I was told I could submit a leak adjustment request form which I did but never heard back," Rebecca said.
Recently, KHOU 11 sat down with the Director of Houston Public Works Carol Haddock. We asked her about how long it's taking for them to get back to customers.
"So, it has been a heavy load. I will freely admit that, but I will tell you that the initial call that we are on average less than 10 minutes hold," Haddock said.
She tells KHOU 11 that 90% of the calls are resolved within the initial call, but the remaining calls could take two to three days before you speak to an agent directly about your specific account. Then, in other cases, it could take even longer.
"Many of these things to resolve, it is going to take weeks. It may even take a couple of months to get through the whole thing," Haddock said.
EXTENDED INTERVIEW | Head of Houston water department talks about high bills
Another question we received centers around refunds.
"I've been following the report on the water bills, but what they are not telling us what they are doing to reimburse all of the customers that have been overcharged," asked Carla.
There are a few refunds you can apply for such as a leak adjustment, an exceptional circumstances adjustment, or an unusually large bill credit.
You can find links to those applications here under Grace's Guide. If you're not sure which one to apply for, call Customer Account Services. Their number is (713) 371-1400.
If you have a problem and need help, email GraceCanHelp@khou.com, call (713) 521-HELP or fill out the form below.