It doesn’t matter who you are, getting a huge water bill is stressful. But one Houston man’s huge water bill debt revealed a dire dilemma. That’s when our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation turned into a community’s call to action, with dozens of people and businesses stepping up to help.
War Veteran hardly uses water, still getting huge bills
Ninety-one-year-old Jessie Lara lives alone in the same Houston house where he grew up and raised his own kids. The only period in his life he didn’t live there was when he served in the US Navy fighting in the Korean War in the 1950s.
“And we won. So, here I am, still alive. I thank God for that,” said Lara.
“He wants to live in his own house. He doesn’t want to live anywhere else,” said Lara’s niece, Betty Gonzalez.
But Gonzalez worries her uncle’s growing water bill will force him out.
“Every month, it’s like $400, $500. He lives here alone. He hardly uses any water, so I knew there was a problem,” said Gonzalez.
“How can a single man use that much money in water? Which is impossible,” said Lara.
When we asked John Moore Plumbing to check Lara’s old house for leaks, they found one on an outside faucet; and they fixed it for free. But the red dial on Lara’s meter kept spinning, indicating water was leaking somewhere the plumber could not see.
“It’s a big job. It’s a very big job. The estimate to dig up and replace his 100-year-old water line came in at $4,000.”
“That’s a lot of money. I don’t have it,” said Lara.
Investigator Amy Davis posted Lara’s story on Facebook to help him find some help. It got more than 72,000 likes and it got the attention of 24/7 Plumbing Company out of Katy.
“Obviously, plumbing is very expensive. A lot of people can’t afford it,” said Mike Dayter, 24/7 Plumbing Company.
But Lara didn’t have to pay a dime.
24/7 Plumbing Company repiped his entire home replacing the old, rusty galvanized water pipes with pex. They made sure his gas lines were in good shape and replaced his old water heater.
The Restoration Team, a network of Houston congregations that formed after Hurricane Harvey to help families rebuild has pledged to make repairs inside and outside Lara’s home.
- RELATED: Help for Veterans in Houston
“A healthy, complete home impacts everything in someone’s life. Whether it’s their physical health, their mental health, or the community around them,” said Trevor Barnett.
- Comcast got Lara credits on his cable bill and installed a brand-new TV in his living room.
- Harris County Veterans Assistance Department paid down his water bill and paid his $700 gas bill.
Neighbors, stepping up, to help Lara who stepped up so many years ago.
“We were just overwhelmed by the outreach of people that were willing to come in and help Jessie with this,” said Gonzalez. “He was so happy because he couldn’t use his washing machine. I was taking his clothes to go wash at my house. And the other day, we put towels in there. We were washing and he was just so happy.”
Lara needs a lot more repairs. Several companies and charities have offered to help. As those repairs are completed, we’ll update you on the progress here to thank everyone for stepping up.
A Houston man also started this Go Fund Me Account for Lara. If you want to donate, he said he will turn the money over to Lara for any expenses he needs it for.
Help for Lara and our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation
This story started as a tip about his high water bill an issue draining many Houston water customers. For nearly a year now, the KPRC 2 Investigates team, led by Investigator Amy Davis, is helping people get to the bottom of issues they are having with the Houston water department.