HOUSTON, Texas – While the Houston Water Department works to fix its broken billing and metering system, customers are just 41 days away from the next water rate increase.
This will be the fifth increase since 2021. KPRC 2 Investigator Amy Davis explains the new rate increase and what customers can expect.
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In June of 2021, Houston City Council voted to increase water rates every year on April 1 through 2026.
The plan aims to collect nearly $2 billion needed for required repairs to water infrastructure over the next 15 years.
KPRC 2 Investigates has been tracking these changes to show how much bills are increasing each year. The exact amount customers will pay depends on water usage and meter size.
Here’s one example from a homeowner who uses 10,000 gallons of water a month -
- $112 in February 2021
- $249.63 in February 2025
- It will be higher on April 1
Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi expressed his concerns:
“I’m sensitive to our customer’s needs. Water rates going up hurts just as much as eggs at the grocery store or gas at the fuel station. We are really acutely aware of that. But at the same time, we’re also acutely aware of our mission to deliver treated water to homes to make sure that people don’t have sanitary sewer backups into their showers.”
Macchi also highlighted the challenges in infrastructure maintenance.
“We haven’t done an adequate job of replacing percentages of our infrastructure each year. Most times, it’s recommended that you replace at least three percent of all of your pipeline per year. We haven’t done 3% in 10 years.”
In 2024, the average Houston water bill increased by about 9%. The percentage rates for this year’s increase are still pending.
The first phase of Houston’s water bill improvement plan is nearing completion. However, instead of improvements, many customers are reporting higher bills than before the mayor’s promised changes.
‘DRAINED’ results - changes for Houston water customers
The years-long KPRC ‘DRAINED’ Investigation led to indictments related to shady contract dealings. Our investigation also led to massive changes to the water billing system. The billing revamp is still in process for customers who were frustrated over high and often confusing water bills. You can catch up on the latest on that here.
WATCH: Take behind-the-scenes look into the years-long ‘Drained’ investigation. Investigator Amy Davis provides the latest updates on water bill changes for all customers, along with recent plea deals involving the water line corruption scandal.
