HOUSTON - Some local neighbors are taking a stand over what they’re calling massive spikes in their water bills.
This all started with one homeowner in the Oak Forest neighborhood of northwest Houston who got so fed up, he started a change.org petition.
Since creating the petition around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the homeowner, David Pokorny, has seen more than 100 neighbors sign on, many leaving horror stories of their own in the comments section.
They’re pushing for more oversight to make sure that they’re only paying for the water they’re actually using.
After six years of calling the Oak Forest area home, it's a problem Pokorny says he and his wife are catching for the first time.
"The water bill in April, a less hot month, is higher than the water bill in a most recent month,” he said.
Water bills he calls “erratic” despite the family using water like always, and calling a plumber to rule out leaks.
During the three most recent months, he says he's been charged the same amount down to the penny, with no real clarity on the bill showing where the usage is coming from.
"No one at the water department can really explain how we're being charged,” said Pokorny. “Obviously the chances of using the exact same amount of water every single month is highly unlikely."
After posting his story on the neighborhood's Facebook page, countless neighbors have come forward with very similar stories, “most worse than ours”, Pokorny says.
That inspired him to create the online petition, calling on Mayor Sylvester Turner to have a third party look into the accuracy of the meter readings and billing process.
Pokorny wants to see a system of checks and balances, like the state has to make sure the amount of gas you're putting in your tank is how much the display says you're pumping.
"We're not looking for anybody to be in trouble, that kind of thing, I just want to know that I'm paying for what I'm actually using,” he said.
Mayor Turner’s press secretary told KHOU 11 News the mayor was out of town Thursday and that she will share the neighborhood’s concerns with him.
A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Public Works and Engineering said KHOU’s request for an on-camera interview made early Thursday afternoon was “too short notice”.
However, later in the afternoon, she emailed the following statement:
“As each location is unique in its water usage, water bill analysis is best performed on a case-by-case basis. However, speaking generally, it is common to see repeat bills for the same dollar amount during the year. The Department of Public Works & Engineering bills monthly in thousand gallon increments.
For example, if a customer’s average water usage is normally between 3,000 and 4,000 gallons of water a month, the customer would receive a bill for 3,000 gallons some months and 4,000 gallons in other months. The billed usage is rounded down to the nearest 1,000 gallon increment with the additional amount included on the following month’s bill (ex: 3,400 gallons would bill at 3,000 this month with the next month’s calculation including the 400 gallons in addition to the registered usage for the current month).
An account that uses between 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water per month would be billed for 3,000 gallons some months and 4,000 gallons in other months.
With regard to a bill’s wastewater charge, in accordance with widespread industry practice, wastewater is not metered as it leaves a home or business. Rather, the wastewater charge is calculated based on the amount of water that registers through the water meter.
In both May and June 2016 billing periods, approximately 92% of all accounts were read automatically; i.e., remote reading using radio frequency technology. If we are unable to get a reading or if we suspect an inaccurate reading, the usage is estimated for the month based on historical data.
The site is then visited by a technician to obtain a manual reading of the water usage and to make any needed repairs to the metering equipment. Once a manual reading is obtained, the water bill is adjusted to reflect actual usage. The Oak Forest/Garden Oaks areas are comprised of approximately 6,315 meters.
For the June and July 2016 billing periods, only 86 of the 6,315 readings in the areas were estimated. Over the approximately 475,000 accounts in the system citywide, the Public Works & Engineering Department rendered a billing accuracy score of approximately 99.75% and 99.95% for the June and July 2016 billing periods, respectively.
High consumption may be attributed to many factors, primarily private leaks. Customers may check for a constant flow of water, which indicates a leak, by checking whether the meter’s register moves while there is no water visibly being used at the property.
If the leak indicator dial/cogwheel is turning, no matter how slow, this is an indication that water is being used or possibly lost through a private leak.
Many customers’ water usage routinely increases during the warmer months of the year due to increased outdoor watering, pool fills, washing vehicles, etc. Further, it is important to note that utility rates have increased not only in Houston, but across the country, to more accurately reflect the cost of providing the service.”