After nearly two years of dogged reporting in our investigation of water bills “draining” Houstonians, the City of Houston has made big changes.
KPRC 2 Investigative reporter Amy Davis is taking you back and following up with the very first water customer we introduced you to see how he’s doing 18 months later.
MORE: Woman at center of KPRC 2′s investigation into outrageous water bills resigns
A lot has happened with the water department this year alone. There wasn’t much action when we first started pushing for change in 2022, so we wanted to check in on our neighbor who started raising red flags about his bills years ago.
Today 69-year-old Edward Williams has water. His bills prove he uses it sparingly, usually less than 2,000 gallons every month.
“It’s just me. I don’t bathe 15 times a day and jump off a springboard into a pool,” said Williams.
But still, Williams monthly bills are more than $100 every month because instead of wiping out his inaccurate bill back in 2022. the water department put him on a payment plan to pay down more than $3,000 he still doesn’t think he owes.
SEE ALSO: Answering FAQ’s about Houston’s Water Bill: Ask Amy
While he only uses about $36 of water a month, after his $75 payment arrangement, he owes $111. And he’ll be paying these charges tripling his bill for two more years.
“I’m looking at the news, the portion of it where they knock everybody’s bill down, and I’m wondering why am I still paying $3,000 and I’m the first one that came up with it. You know, I’m in city council fighting for this, bill, but I’m still paying the high bill.”
We have seen major improvements since we first took Williams’ water billing problems to the city.
RELATED: See water bill changes
He lived in a small Acres Homes house for 4 years with no water after he said he couldn’t pay the high bills anymore. The city wouldn’t listen when he told them there was no way he was using hundreds of dollars in water each month.
Back in 2022, a Public Works spokesperson told KPRC 2 Investigates:
“The short answer is: Mr. Williams does not qualify (for any adjustments to his more than $7,000 bill)”.
“We are still recommending Amy Davis help him apply for assistance with Baker Ripley.”
After months of back and forth, here’s how they helped. The city says they reduced the more than $7,000 bill down to $3,000. They claim Williams used this amount before his water was disconnected in 2018.
RELATED: Denied help for high water bill? Try again right now
Since the city replaced the remote read device on Williams’ meter it shows he consistently uses no than 2,000 gallons a month. (You may remember we’ve told you before that certain meter sensors were sending back wrong information to the city.)
So why, when they’ve wiped out the disputed bills for hundreds of others, is Williams still holding onto his disputed debt?
“I’m paying $100 a month on the water bill because, the payment plan, I have to pay my bill, plus the plan. And I have to do that in order to keep my water going.”
We reached out to the water department this week to ask why Williams wasn’t getting the same treatment as other customers now disputing their bills. They decided to wipe out his debt. (See full statement below.)
Since our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation began, the city has made huge changes to how the water bill system works. Customers are being billed averages until it’s confirmed they have working meter sensors. Check out more information about the plan here.
Full statement from the Public Works Department regarding Williams’ bill
“Houston Public Works manages 500,000 water accounts within the City of Houston and we are committed to improving transparency through the Water Bill Improvement Plan. Customer Account Services made an additional review of Edward Williams’ account and was able to apply an adjustment of $1,943.59 to his account. This leaves him with a credit of $22.89 to apply to future bills. The payment agreement is satisfied. Our team visited his property yesterday (May 14, 2024) to adjust his meter box. Mr. Williams was present during this visit. We were able to open the lid with a large screwdriver. It had a stronger clip to prevent the lid from floating away during rain events. We changed the lid to make it easier to open. We’ve attached a video and a picture from this visit. The remote reading device attached to Mr. Williams’ water meter is functioning. Mr. Williams is currently on zero set usage, meaning he is only billed for base service charges.
“Customer Account Services was unaware Mr. Williams was unsatisfied with the payment agreement. Please encourage customers with concerns or questions about their bill to call 713-371-1400. Our team has set up virtual and in-person appointments to help improve our customer service. "
“Thank you,
- Erin Jones, Public Information Officer, City of Houston | Houston Public Works
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