As Houston Public Works tries to fix water billing problems uncovered in our years-long ‘DRAINED’ investigation, the utility’s lack of communication continues to frustrate customers trying to understand their bills.
Customers tell KPRC 2 Investigative reporter Amy Davis they call the water department with questions, and most of the time, the person on the phone can’t explain the bill. Just what you see is what you get.
Now, one Kingwood family is realizing even when the water department tells you one thing about what you owe, they can change their tune and reverse decisions months later with no explanation.
In February 2023, Shannon and Josh Ortega received good news.
“It states your water meter returned an incorrect read. Therefore, a bill correction was processed on your account,” said Josh Ortega.
The Houston Water Department sent these four notices explaining that incorrect meter readings meant the Ortegas had overpaid and were due several credits. Altogether, the credits added up to more than $3,200.
“This was basically the result of what I assumed was the investigation from the estimated rates,” said Shannon Ortega.
The credits weren’t out of the blue. Shannon had asked the water department why her meter readings had been estimated month after month. A water representative told her they were investigating, and then she received the large credit.
“I did call about it, and they just indicated that yes, the credit was correct. And I asked then if there was a way that I could get that credit as a check, and I’ll just continue to pay my water bill the way I would any other time. And they said they’d look into it and see what they could do. And that was the end of the conversation.”
Every water bill the city sent her in 2023 showed she didn’t owe anything. The amount was deducted from her overpayment—the credit.
In 2024, Shannon tried again to get the remaining credit, about $1,500, sent as a check.
“I said, well, if there’s an option, I’d like to have my money in hand and just pay my monthly water bill.”
While she waited again for an answer, Ortega noticed the city removed the credit from her bill with no explanation. When she called, a customer representative told her the original credit was an error.
“Basically, that I should be grateful. I haven’t had to pay my water bill for the last year and a half,” she said.
The city giveth & the city taketh away
“Show me some evidence of anything other than your water meter. Return an incorrect read. What should it have read? What were you expecting to have seen in order to arrive at these numbers? And then to dismiss the credit, which maybe it was an error, but show me something. Provide some level of assurance that there was an effective audit conducted. And then who’s responsible over there? That’s my frustration,” said Josh.
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Why was a credit issued on the water bill account?
A Houston Public Works spokesperson told me they don’t know who authorized the credit in 2023, just that it was an error. A new billing supervisor looked back at all of the Ortegas’ bills and couldn’t find those overpayments.
Amy Davis: “If they’re telling you, ‘Oh, well, you prove that you overpaid,’ can you do that?”
Shannon: “No, I can’t.”
Amy: “Why not?”
Shannon: “Because what’s available online only goes back two years. And this all happened well before two years ago. And when I got the credit, it didn’t keep all that information for years because we had a credit and it was working the way credits are supposed to work. And so, there’s no reason to maintain that information. We just assumed it was done.”
We know the city’s customer records management system is terrible. The director of Public Works said as much in our interview earlier this year.
“We’ve got to invest not just in the infrastructure in people’s homes; we’ve got to invest in our infrastructure here within the department as well. That includes our technology, “Randy Macchi, Houston Public Works.
“But at the same time, we’re going to continue to improve our customer service practices to make up for the deficit we have from a technology standpoint.”
Weeks after the city told us it owed the Ortegas nothing, they received a check in the mail.
“And the checks for $399.68. There’s no letter that goes with it. There’s no description that goes with it. It’s just a check,” said Shannon.
The Ortegas want to know if depositing the check or cashing it means they waive their right to challenge the city’s decision about their account. And honestly, the last time they called with a legitimate question, it cost them $1,500.
Getting answers from the city
- We first reached out to Houston Public Works inquiring about Ortega’s account on January 20th.
- Spokesperson Erin Jones discussed the account by phone with Davis on January 28th when she explained that the credit was an error.
- We followed up on January 28th, February 12th and February 18th.
- On March 3rd, we requested a written statement from Public Works to explain what happened.
Jones sent the following by email on March 3rd:
“Houston Public Works acknowledges the error in not providing clear communication before the check was sent to explain how Utility Billing reached the above total. This check reflects adjustments made on the account’s estimated bills between 2021 – 2023, using a set usage of 4,000 gallons of water. Shannon Ortega was placed on set usage when the Water Bill Improvement Plan launched in April 2024. Our Utility Billing team reached out to Shannon Ortega today to explain the calculation behind the credit check. We will ensure that future customers receive clear communication regarding any credits or refund checks.
The $399.68 refund is after Utility Billing changed her readings from 2021-2023 to set usage. This amount is the difference between what she paid in 2022 & 2021, not including any bills from 2023. When Utility Billing spoke to Shannon Ortega today, they agreed to send her a full breakdown of how the $399.68 was calculated.”
The KPRC 2 Investigates team will keep working to get answers for you about these water bills. We are committed to reporting on stories that drive transparency and positive change within the community.
Don’t forget, the other big part of our ‘DRAINED’ KPRC 2 Investigation was exposing shady contract dealings. 7 people reached plea deals in February.
