HOUSTON -- It's one of those bills that doesn't usually make us wince when we open it. Water bills are generally pretty low, but that's not necessarily true if you live in one Fort Bend County community.

Several homeowners in Sienna Plantation are asking KPRC Local 2 investigative reporter Amy Davis to look into their soaring water bills.

We found water bills as high as electric bills.

While the homeowners who called us live in Sienna Plantation, no matter where you live, there are some things you can do when you just can't believe what's printed on the bill.

Marcella Bolognese thinks about it every time she turns on the water because her recent water bills are tough to swallow.

"My bill went from being $90 to $100 to being almost $300," explained Bolognese.

It's the talk of Sienna Plantation. Water bills so high that Twana Schulz started doing the math.

"We had a 233 percent increase in our water usage," Schulz told Davis. "I don't know how we could do that. It would have to be running 24/7."

When both women complained to Southwest Water Company, it re-read their meters and came back with the same numbers and the same story we got from Sienna Plantation Municipal Utility District No. 2.

"Obviously the heat and lack of rain has driven the usage way up," said MUD No. 2 President Mark Parsons.

"There's no way possible I could have used that much water in a month," said Bolognese.

Southwest Water, the company that reads meters and bills for all of Sienna Plantation, said the average usage in some areas of Sienna went up by as much as 50 percent in the month of July.

We checked the closest rain gauge in Sugar Land. It received 70 percent less rain this July than in July 2008. Rain totals were down every month from May to September.

Still, some customers aren't buying it.

"There's got to be some kind of explanation besides 'oh, we've had a drought,'"  said Schulz.

Southwest Water says there is. Everyone in Fort Bend County now pays a "surface water conversion fee." It's a charge required by the state to pay for a new surface water treatment plant.

In July, that fee jumped for people who live in Missouri City from 77 cents per 1,000 gallons to $1.21 per 1,000 gallons. The increase meant a $45 jump in Schulz's highest bill.

Still, the fee is directly related to the amount of water used and most just don't think they've used so much more water.

"It's not just one or two people," said Bolognese. "It's a whole community."

There are some things that people can do to dispute a water bill if you pay a MUD. For starters, state law says that every homeowner can request a meter test once a year at no cost to them. The homeowner can be there to watch the test and get an explanation of what was found.

Residents should also go to their MUD meeting. The President of Sienna's MUD No. 2 said they meet every month and, in three years, they've never had anyone come to a meeting to complain about a water bill.

Lastly, if residents feel like they are not getting the help or response their need from their MUD can call the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at 512- 239-6100. TCEQ can act as a liaison, but they can't make a MUD do anything.

The TCEQ has also put together a helpful list of questions and answers about MUDs.