โWaste of taxpayerโs moneyโ: City spends money on trinkets amid water bill crisis
While Houston water customers wait for relief from inaccurate and unexplained high water bills thatโs left them โDRAINED,โ KPRC 2 Investigates has discovered the head of Houston Public Works, memorializing the department with trinkets weโre all paying for.
DRAINED: Here is how to tell if your Houston water meter has been upgraded
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.
City of Houston says water systems stable after freeze but expects increase in demand due to leaks as pipes thaw
Officials with the Houston Public Works stated that the cityโs 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.
Houston Public Works employee relieved of duty after KPRC 2 Investigates uncovers questionable water repair contracts
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.
Amid ongoing Houston water bill woes, Houston Public Works announces events to โhelp community save moneyโ
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.
RESULTS: Changes to your water bill after our โDRAINEDโ KPRC 2 Investigation
For months KPRC 2 Investigates has been fighting for you - asking why so many people are being โDRAINED" and forced to pay water bills they don't owe. The KPRC 2 Investigates team is actively investigating more than 200 customers who've reached out and our work is getting results.
โWe have infrastructure thatโs at the end of its life,โ city leaders told KPRC 2 Investigates for our โDRAINEDโ investigation into City of Houston water issues
Months before this Houston water crisis the KPRC 2 Investigates team started digging into issues with the Houston Water Department. Investigator Amy Davis is leading our investigation into issues that have water customers feeling drained.
Ask Amy: Why water bill readings are often wrong + what is being done to fix the problem
We have heard concerns about your water bills and we are working to get you answers. All this week our KPRC 2 Investigates team is highlighting some of the issues you are having. In the process, we got a chance to talk with the Director of Public Works for the City of Houston.
Complaints of strange-smelling water across Houston area after boil water notice lifted
HOUSTON โ Roughly a week after the cold weather first arrived in Houston, the water service is back but some people are reporting a different smell. โThe water, when it comes out, just has a funny smell almost like metal,โ Lindsey Rockoff said over the phone. The Houston resident said she first noticed the smell a few days ago, after the boil water notice was lifted, even though she doesnโt have metal pipes at home. Another man emailed KPRC 2 and wrote, โmy water smells fishy,โ while some social media posts described the smell like bleach. People can contact Houston 311 by phone at 713-837-0311, email at 311@houstontx.gov, or through houstontx.gov/311As a safety note, Haddock said water employees will not come into your home.
Houstonโs water returns to โnormal operating pressure,โ mayor says; Boil water notice likely to be lifted Monday
A boil water notice in Houston will likely be lifted Monday, Mayor Sylvester Turner reiterated during a briefing Saturday. Dozens of nearby municipalities, including the Pearland, Katy and Sugarland areas have also issued boil water notices. AdSince Wednesday, water pressure has steadily improved across Houston and on Saturday city officials reported Houstonโs water pressure had risen to a โnormal operating pressureโ citywide. Per regulation, once water pressure returns to normal levels, a 24-hour observation period on water samples must occur before a boil water notice can be lifted. If no bacteria is found in the samples, the boil water notice can be lifted.
Mayor Turner, city officials provide update on cityโs water system
Mayor Turner provided an update on the cityโs water system and an announcement on bottled water distribution at an 11 a.m. news briefing Thursday. Houston residents Wednesday were warned to boil their water -- if they had the power to do so-- after water pressure plummeted throughout the Houston-area. A combination of bursting pipes and equipment failures at water distribution facilities during the freezing weather caused the water pressure to fall, said Carol Haddock, director of public works. In a news briefing Wednesday, city officials said water pressure would improve throughout the day and expected pressure levels to stabilize and return to an operational range before the end of the day on Thursday. After water pressure returns to normal levels, a 24-hour observation period on water samples must occur before the boil water notice can be lifted.