DRAINED

Imagine having to start a GoFundMe campaign just to pay your huge water bill. It happened to a Houston college professor. The KPRC 2 Investigates team is sharing his story as we look into Houston water billing issues to help you avoid the same pricey problem.

Imagine paying your water bill every month on time only to learn years later you were actually paying for water your neighbors used. And now the Houston water department says you owe thousands more for your own water. Our KPRC 2 Investigates team has another example of Houston water issues leaving customers ‘DRAINED’.

Hundreds of Houston water customers who have paid their bills on time every month are getting slapped with enormous charges months later with no explanation. The KPRC 2 Investigates team is digging into the billing nightmares that are leaving customers “DRAINED.”

Dirty, brown, sludgy water is leaving homeowners in northeast Houston “DRAINED.” When KPRC 2 Investigates tested rust-colored water coming from the taps, we found 548 times the amount of iron allowed by state standards.

Water leaks and pipe breaks is an expensive problem in Houston. In our ‘DRAINED’ KPRC 2 Investigation we've learned the reason it often takes so long to fix these issues is because the city of Houston has wrong and outdated water pipe maps.

For months KPRC 2 Investigates has been fighting for you - asking why so many people are being “DRAINED" and forced to pay water bills they don't owe. The KPRC 2 Investigates team is actively investigating more than 200 customers who've reached out and our work is getting results.

Houston, we hear you! We keep getting calls and emails from people who need help with the City of Houston water bill issues.

KPRC 2 Investigates discovered the City of Houston was overcharging homeowners for more than 10 times the water they used because city employees were incorrectly reading their water meters.

KPRC 2 Investigates is exposing problems with Houston’s water bills and meter reading issues. In our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation, we learned many of you are getting crazy high bills and waiting months trying to resolve them. As people continue to send us questions and concerns we wanted to share five things you need to do to make sure you are not stuck with an insanely high water bill that you don’t owe.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/investigates/2022/11/14/drained-kprc-2-investigates-demands-answers-for-you-about-water-bill-issues-in-houston/

Inaccurate meter readings and soaring high water bills are leaving many Houston water customers feeling drained. In our KPRC 2 Investigates ‘DRAINED’ series, we have explained the problems. We wanted to know how the City of Houston’s water department compares to other cities. Global research firm J.D. Power has surveyed water customers of municipal utilities for an annual study every year since 2016.

Dozens of you are telling us about your experience with the Houston Water Department. We’ve heard about phone calls, emails unanswered, and little to no communication to explain huge bills that threaten you and your family’s well-being. Now, KPRC 2 Investigates explains a customer’s last chance at getting help and how often it is working.

We’ve heard from you about your water bill frustrations. This week our KPRC 2 Investigates team has been working to find answers to your concerns about water bills.

KPRC 2 Investigates is asking why water rates are skyrocketing and what we’re getting for the extra money we’re all paying.

Drained. That’s how Houston water customers said they feel after trying to get help from the city of Houston. They want explanations about inaccurate meter reads, huge water bills, and now dirty, murky water. KPRC 2 Investigates continues this search for answers with homeowners who say the city of Houston is failing their families.

You have told us about the issues you are having with water bills in the city of Houston. Our Investigates team is working to find answers and solutions for you. On today’s Ask Amy, Amy Davis, and producer Andrea Slaydon talk about the series of water bill stories the team is working on.

Our KPRC 2 Investigates team has heard your complaints about your City of Houston water bills. These concerns include everything, from excessive water bills to outrageous and irregular meter readings. Customers are feeling “drained” and frustrated that there is no apparent recourse, and many are finding it hard to get answers from the city. It’s why all this week, the KPRC 2 Investigates team is taking a hard look at these issues and pushing city leaders for solutions.