HOUSTON – Water leaks from broken pipes during the state’s big freeze caused big bills for thousands of City of Houston customers. If you have already received a big bill for water usage during the time of the freeze, Houston Public Works Department says you should pay on the due date, but don’t pay the abnormally high amount.
You should pay the amount on your previous water bill that was more in line with your normal usage. When you receive your April bill, Houston Public Works says you will notice an adjustment. You will be charged either the average of your last 12 months of bills or what you were billed for in February, whichever is less.
If your bill is set to be automatically drafted from your bank account, you will want to go on the city’s website and put a pause on the auto-draft so the higher amount is not drafted.
If you fail to do that and the full higher amount is deducted from your bank account, once your bill is adjusted in April, you will have a credit on your account that reflects the overpayment.
If you live in a single-family residence, you don’t have to do anything to get the adjustment. Public Works says its software will flag accounts with abnormally high usage over the week of the big freeze. If you live in an apartment or other multi-family home, you need to apply for the rate adjustment on the Public Works website.
If you have any other questions about your bill, call Customer Account Services at 713.371.1400.