Houston, Texas (KTRK) – A family in the Sagemont area of Houston called ABC13 after receiving a water bill of nearly $24,000 from the city last month.
The same bill, which states no late fees, indicated that the previous month’s bill was just under $140.
“My wife saw we had a $24,000 bill,” said Ricardo Naranjo. “I’m starting to get upset.”
The exact bill total is $23,685.23
“You get this bill, and it’s like – what are you doing?”
This follows last week when the City of Houston Department of Public Works tweeted that customers in West Houston could face thousands of dollars higher water bills than they are used to paying.
Related: A malfunctioning device causing huge and incorrect water bills in West Houston is part of a larger problem
A public works spokesperson told Eyewitness News that the device that sends water usage data to the city’s automated billing system was recently replaced in 500 homes in that area, and that a possible manufacturer-based defect in the new devices is to blame for the higher bills. .
They reversed their position early Monday, saying that the older devices were underreporting how much water those homes were using, and that the new devices were sending the correct amounts to the city.
They said they are investigating how these usage amounts can lead to thousands of dollars worth of fluctuations for customers.
At this point, it’s unknown what caused the Naranjo family’s giant bill, but he said he and his wife called Public Works, and a technician came out to investigate.
Naranjo said a neighbor told him the city was in his house, so he came to talk to the technician to prove there was no leak inside his home.
“He has already notified the city of the leak,” Naranjo said. “He had to call them back and tell them there was no leak.”
Related: It’s not an April Fool’s joke: April 1 marks an increased water rate throughout Houston
Remember that a leak in someone’s home won’t be a city problem to fix.
ABC13 asked the City of Houston about the Naranjo side of the story, but they told us that a state confidentiality law would require us to jointly complete paperwork with the family for information about services that have been performed at their home in recent weeks.
Naranjos have this document and they are reviewing it while they keep asking how high their bill is.
“(The city) just said they were going to investigate,” he said. “The last thing they told my wife is we have to call back in 30 days to see what’s going on.”
The Department of Public Works said they should have more information, though much of it hinges on filling out this form.
Related: Outrageous water bills won’t be paid, Houston city officials say
They also said they are working to make an official in the department available for an interview with ABC13.
public works He said you need to call the account services team at 713-341-1400 or notify them online at the Houston Public Works website if you think your water bill needs correcting.
For news updates, follow Chaz Miller FacebookAnd Twitter And Instagram.
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