A Houston-area water customer was being charged for an irrigation meter he wasn’t using — and when he called to fix it, he got the wrong answer.
Mark, a Houston Heights resident, reached out to KPRC 2 ‘ENOUGH’ reporter Amy Davis after noticing he was paying a monthly fee for an inactive water meter. Customer service told him there was nothing he could do about it. That’s not true.
What the ordinance actually says
Following KPRC 2’s years-long “DRAINED” investigation into Houston’s water billing issues, the city changed its ordinance. Customers can now pay a one-time $150 fee to cap an inactive meter — including irrigation meters — and lock it so no further charges are applied.
When Mark called Houston Water Department customer service, he was told the option wasn’t available for irrigation meters. Davis confirmed that information was incorrect…