Mayor John Whitmire has named the new director of Houston Public Works (HPW).

For months, raw sewage has been bubbling up onto neighborhood streets, leading to a terrible smell and a lot of frustration.

If you’ve noticed a difference in your drinking water, officials say you don’t need to be worried.

The KPRC 2 'DRAINED' investigation into inaccurate and outrageous water bills got big results this past April. Now four months into the Houston Mayor's plan to fix the water billing issues we wanted to know if it's working. What's changed? And who's in charge of fixing all of the problems we exposed? KPRC 2 Investigative reporter Amy Davis is looking out for you as she checks the city's progress in correcting the water problems draining so many of you.

The impact of Hurricane Beryl caused more than 100,000 gallons of of domestic wastewater in the city of Houston, according to Houston Public Works.

Houston Public Works has announced a temporary lowering of Lake Houston by 12 inches, starting at 4 a.m. on Sunday, July 7, in preparation for Tropical Storm Beryl.

A Lake Livingston Dam is now being watched for a “potential failure.” While the dam is more than 80 miles away from Houston, this could be a huge problem for millions of people.

Authorities are lowering water levels in Lake Houston and Lake Conroe to mitigate flood risks from an approaching tropical system expected to impact the area with heavy rains.

A Fifth Ward resident claims despite shutting off her own water, fearing a high bill, she still owes $4,168.67.

During her first appearance in Probable Cause court Friday, a judge accosted her for abusing her position as a public servant noting there are still more than half a million dollars worth of unaccounted funds.

Patrece Lee has a court date scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday morning. She’s the first to appear in court following the charges being filed.

Residents of several Houston apartment complexes report they do not have water service since the storm hit last Thursday.

As a result of the severe weather and intense rainfall in the City of Houston, more than 100,000 gallons of wastewater has overflowed from the city’s sewer system.

The woman at the helm of Houston Public Works (HPW) and the center of KPRC 2 Investigates 2-year-long DRAINED investigation into outrageous water bills, is stepping down.

Despite substantial taxpayer investment for their implementation, the Heights' new bike lanes may prove short-lived.

Houston’s water rates are going up again in less than two weeks on April 1st. It’s the fourth increase since September of 2021. Investigative reporter Amy Davis explains how much you can expect your bill to increase and what the city is doing with the extra money.

While Houston water customers wait for relief from inaccurate and unexplained high water bills that’s left them ‘DRAINED,’ KPRC 2 Investigates has discovered the head of Houston Public Works, memorializing the department with trinkets we’re all paying for.

At the root of Houston's water bill crisis are tens of thousands of meter reading devices that are no longer functioning. More are failing every day. While Houston Public Works plans to replace the remote read devices on all 500,000 water meters, it is a slow process. We asked for the records to find out where they have already installed approximately 85,000. The water department won't alert you before they replace yours, and you may not even notice a difference when they do. In this video, we show you how you can tell if you have an old remote read sensor or a new one.

More than 100 gallons of wastewater was spilled Tuesday at the Almeda Sims Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to the Houston Public Works.

The City of Houston announced Friday that Houston Public Works will lower the water level at Lake Houston by 12 inches in preparation for upcoming rains.

Cable, electricity, gas.. if you want any of these things, you have to pay for them. But what if you used the service and never received a bill for them? Would you call the company to ask what you owe? How many times would you call? This is the same dilemma some Houston water customers are having. While many of you are feeling drained, stuck with exorbitant bills, we're hearing from other customers who say the city isn't charging them anything for water.

Each week we in our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation are showing you water bills for hundreds, even thousands of dollars that are “draining” Houstonians. NEW TODAY: We are asking questions about the planned water bill increases and extra city money. Investigative reporter Amy Davis explains why some are questioning whether the city needs the extra revenue.

The City of Houston says the gates at the Lake Houston dam are open in preparation for forecasted heavy rainfall this week.

Officials with the Houston Public Works stated that the city’s water systems are stable following the three-day freeze but they expect to see an increase in water demand as pipes begin to thaw out and possibly cause leaks.

Mayor John Whitmire will join leaders Tuesday from the Houston Police Department, Houston Fire Department, Houston Public Works, the Office of Emergency Management, and others to provide an update on the weather conditions and the city’s preparedness and response operations.

If you’re headed to the Medical Center Wednesday morning, you may have some delays as Houston Public Works repair a water line break on Main Street.

When KPRC 2 Investigates first exposed the conflicts of interest to the City of Houston city leaders told us they referred the allegations to the Office of Inspector General to investigate. Now, six weeks later Investigative reporter Amy Davis is explaining what that office does and does not do.

Five weeks after KPRC 2 Investigates uncovered questionable connections between businesses awarded millions in waterline repair jobs and city of Houston employees, we're digging deeper to show you what city leaders have done with the information.

The City of Houston has rescinded stage two of the drought contingency plan.

The Houston City Council passed a high water bill relief plan Wednesday. Check out what the ordinance changes mean for all water bill customers.

Questionable emergency water repair contracts under investigation as Houston employees come forward to share their stories.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is having a news conference on Monday to discuss the Houston Public Works’ Ordinance to address recent water leaks and billing problems in the area.

One Houston Public Works employee has been relieved of duty and another has resigned as an investigation into wrongdoing continues.

The Houston mayor said his administration has a plan to address high water bill issues in our city. He made the announcement late Tuesday, the same day multiple Houston City Council members submitted a notice to place water bill relief on the city council agenda. This is all a result of KPRC 2′s DRAINED investigations.

Following a report by KPRC 2 Investigates which uncovered millions of dollars in city contracts related to the water department linked to questionable companies, Houston Public Works has responded.

Upset about a high-priced water bill? You're not the only one. We'll tell you why your water meter may be the root of the problem.

A water main break on Tuesday has filled Anita and Fannin streets with water in Midtown.

Water woes continue to plague our city. KPRC 2 Investigates shows you how much more the city is spending to fix the leaks.

Residents living in the Sycamore Valley Subdivision near Charidges Court said the problem started early Saturday morning.

The city of Houston is encouraging residents to conserve water due to an increased demand for water and pipe issues due to the extreme summer weather conditions, city officials shared on social media.

Houston Public Works announced that it has seen a significant reduce in the number of water line leaks throughout the city of Houston.

Some of you have contacted KPRC 2 about the water bills you’ve received this week. We started looking into it and learned it’s a bigger issue that Houston Public Works addressed last night.

‘The Give Water a Break’ campaign is Houston Water’s latest attempt to encourage conservation, and limit wastefulness, according to an explainer on the City of Houston’s Public Works website. Some of the marketing material, particularly the slides engineered to be shared on social media, are spicy and sexually suggestive.

Driving to work on city streets shouldn’t be dangerous; but people who live on the city’s southeast side say despite repeated complaints to Houston Public Works about a huge hole in a major roadway the city delayed repairs causing thousands of dollars in damage to vehicles. They reached out to KPRC 2 Investigates to get the problem smoothed out.

Houston announced Wednesday that it is terminating its contract with the company Inframark amid a criminal investigation into operations at Kingwood Central Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Houston Public Works said Monday that it is hosting several events in March to highlight ways to save water and save money on your water bill, including events to learn how to fix common water leaks at home.

We are working to answer your water bill questions and concerns in our 'DRAINED' KPRC 2 Investigation. In today's Ask Amy, learn about new changes to your bill to help customers.

The City of Houston is conducting a full-scale active threat exercise at the Houston Public Works building downtown, according to a news release.

A Boil Water Notice was issued by the City of Houston Public Works Department Sunday that includes a portion of Fort Bend County, according to a news release.

Residents at The Royalton, a high-rise condo in River Oaks, have been evacuated due to a suspected pipe burst, according to Houston Public Works.

KPRC 2 Investigates has received a flood of complaints against the city of Houston water department. Customers are calling us when they receive abnormally high, astronomical bills that they believe must be the result of a mistake or billing error. They say their calls and emails to the city go unanswered or drag on for months without resolution.

Houston Public Works announced Wednesday that it’s launching an innovative, eco-friendly, pilot program to clear high weeds and grass around detention ponds and in areas with access issues or high slopes.

Houston Public Works has launched a website that aims to help customers calculate how much their utility bill will change ahead of the city’s water rates increase.

If you’re wondering, yes--rain barrels and rain harvesting are legal in Texas.

HOUSTON – Houston Public Works has identified seven apartments that are still without water Friday following the last month’s winter freeze. Public works crews are monitoring the apartment buildings daily to make sure plumbers are on-site and working to restore water service, Director of Communications Alanna Reed said in an email. “The water has not been on since the first night of the freeze,” said resident Crystal Williams. The city said if anyone is still without water, they should call 311 to report the situation. It’s possible additional communities are having water issues but they may not have been reported yet, Reed said.

HOUSTON – A higher concentration of normal disinfectants in Houston’s water system is causing an odor that has some people concerned, according to officials. According to Houston Public Works, a blend of chlorine and ammonia, called chloramine, are used to clean surface water. Where these two water sources carrying these disinfectants combine is causing the stink. RELATED READ: Complaints of strange-smelling water across Houston area after boil water notice lifted“This is a harmless odor that we try to avoid in our water system, but right now Houston Water is disinfecting the drinking water at higher concentrations in response to last week’s water emergency,” Carol Haddock, director of Houston Public Works. AdOfficials said the disinfectants are being reduced to normal concentrations, which should reduce the smell in two to three days.

The Brazos Bridge on US 59 (Spur 527) that runs over Smith St and Holman St in Midtown has reopened. HOUSTON – After monthslong repair and construction, Brazos Bridge on Spur 527 that runs over Smith and Holman streets in Midtown has reopened, according to the Houston Public Works. A hole is seen in the deck of the Brazos Bridge near Houston's Midtown neighborhood July 1, 2019. While the Brazos Bridge underwent construction, traffic was being detoured to Travis or Louisiana streets. improvement schematic designThe new construction will help slow vehicles down while turning onto Holman Street from Smith Street.

HOUSTON – At KPRC 2, we’re dedicated to keeping Houstonians informed. As part of our new Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston. Question: George asks, What are crews doing on Fountain View Drive between Westheimer, Richmond? Answer: Traffic Expert Anavid Reyes reached out to the City of Houston, and according to Houston Public Works, crews are will be installing sanitary sewer lines, manholes, reinforce concrete pavement, improving curbs, and adjusting water and sanitary sewer lines. Fountain View Drive constructionThe project has two phases:Phase 1: Fountain View Drive from Gulfton to Schumber Lane - Spring 2020 to Spring 2021Phase 2: Fountainview from Schumber Lane to Westheimer - Spring 2021 to Spring 2022

HOUSTON – Houston officials say more than 100,000 gallons of domestic wastewater have been spilled in five locations in Houston as of 6:30 p.m. Tuesday due to the “intense, sustained, rainfall of greater than 10 inches in the last 24 hours,” during Tropical Storm Beta. LIVE BLOG: Read the latest updates from the developing Tropical Depression Beta hereOfficials with Houston Public Works and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality are monitoring the situation. At present, officials say if you receive your water from the city of Houston, you do not need to boil your drinking water. Here’s a map of where the spills occurred:The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires the city to provide residents with the following information in event of a wastewater spill:

As part of our Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things Houston. Question: Does the Americans with Disabilities Act require the city to provide sidewalks? Answer: According to Houston Public Works, the answer is no. However, when the City of Houston builds a sidewalk, it must be accessible to persons with disabilities to the extent technically feasible. You can apply to request a sidewalk to be built near your neighborhood through the Houston Public Works Sidewalk Program.

Question: Who comes up with timing for school zones? Answer: Houston Public Works operates and maintains more than 1,500 school zones within the city of Houston. School zones with 20 miles per hour school speed limits are changed by request. Houston Public Works obtains school hours from the school districts and private schools prior to the beginning of each school year. Current City of Houston school zone timing:Morning times - 45 minutes before drop off and 15 minutes after drop offEvening times - 15 minutes before dismissal and 30 minutes after dismissalTimes may be longer if the school zone is shared by more than one school with different drop off/dismissal times and/or if a school has multiple drop off/dismissal times.

HOUSTON The intersection of Main Street and Sunset Boulevard near Rice University has a history of dangerous accidents, especially for cyclists. In fact, a science professor at Rice University died in a crash in 2017 while cycling into work. These changes come after multiple calls for safer roads west of Hermann Park near Rice University by several local organizations. The Sunset Boulevard and Main Street intersection project is part of Mayor Turners safe streets initiative. New traffic signals are also underway to help with flow and the next phase includes testing those traffic lights.

The question: Why are loads of bricks being delivered around Texas? The city of Houston removed bricks and rocks left on roadsides, which may have been intended to be used during Tuesday’s protests to cause damage and destruction. The Houston Public Works is asking residents to report any suspicious activity after removing several piles of bricks and rocks in Houston. AlertHouston: HPW has removed several piles of bricks and rocks from several locations in Houston this afternoon. Please call 311 (or HPD's non-emergency line, 713.884.3131), to report any suspicious activity or if you see someone leaving these items in th https://t.co/Ccqex1DY0Q — AlertHouston (@AlertHouston) June 2, 2020

HOUSTON – At KPRC 2, we’re dedicated to keeping Houstonians informed. As part of our new Ask 2 series, the newsroom will answer your questions about all things HoustonQuestion: When are the potholes going to be fixed on Gellhorn Drive between Market St and Wallisville in the Pleasantville area ? Answer: After speaking with the city’s traffic department, Traffic Expert Anavid Reyes learned Houston Public Works continues to provide routine maintenance to Gellhorn Drive, including pothole repairs and panel replacements. Houston Public Works uses the pavement condition index, international roughness index and traffic volume data, as well as 311 call data to determine which streets need immediate rehabilitation and reconstruction. The community is urged to report potholes and street repair requests to 311.

HOUSTON – The Houston Public Works is asking residents to report any suspicious activity after removing several piles of bricks and rocks in Houston. Officials said the bricks and rocks may have been intended to cause destruction during Tuesday’s demonstrations in the city. Houston Public Works asks residents to call 311 or the Houston Police Department non-emergency line at 713-884-3131 to report any suspicious activity or if you see someone leaving these items in the community. Officials will dispatch a crew to immediately remove the piles of items that may be used to threaten the safety and security of the citizens of Houston.

HOUSTON – Residents in one Eastwood neighborhood have chained their fences and refuse to let city workers on the property to repair a wastewater line, citing coronavirus concerns. Go home.”Houston Public Works is trying to take care of an “urgent” wastewater line repair that is “necessary” to prevent “major health and safety” problems, a city representative said in a statement. However, Jefferson Street residents are not experiencing urgent wastewater problems, Pluecker said. When the bypass was installed, the repair was scheduled so we’d have the right crews and equipment on site. While performing the repair, the pipe will also be upsized to an 8” pipe to support the wastewater needs of the neighborhood.

HOUSTON – Houston Public Works posted a photo Monday of the “culprit” responsible for Thursday’s water main break, which resulted in flooding and a city-wide water boil notice. Crews are replacing the damaged 8-foot pipeline with a new one on Monday. The boil water notice was lifted Saturday morning. A spokeswoman for Mayor Sylvester Turner said it will take crews about a week to complete repairs on the 8-foot water line that feeds water to the city from the Northeast Purification Plant. READ: City of Houston lifts boil water notice in place since Thursday

HOUSTON – Houston Public Works and officials in Missouri City released maps showing the parts of the Houston area that are under a boil water notice after an 8-foot water main break flooded eastern parts of the city Thursday. “Houston Water crews have been able to isolate the break and water pressure should be slowly restored over the next few hours.”Officials at Houston Public Works said areas shaded in orange on the map embedded below are included in the boil water notice. The Houston boil water notice will remain in effect until at least Saturday at 7 a.m, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a press conference Friday afternoon. When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes. RELATED STORIESHigh water covers 610 East Loop and several roads in east Houston after 8-foot water main breaksHouston hospitals experiencing water issues, city clinics close Thursday after water main breakSee what’s going on around the city as KPRC 2 reporters give latest updates after massive water main breakLIST: HISD cancels classes Friday; other businesses, restaurants closed due to water main break in east HoustonThese videos show the impact of water main break that flooded east HoustonPHOTOS: High water takes over east Houston neighborhood, roads after water main breakGet real-time Houston traffic updates