In Houston, the complexities of municipal water billing are drawing public attention, with recent incidents highlighting discrepancies and frustration among residents. One case, according to ABC13, saw Hattie Chatmon, a 94-year-old woman, and her daughter Betty Chatmon Coleman grappling with a staggering $3,000 water bill, a figure grossly incongruent with the elder Chatmon's modest water use for dishes, clothes, and baths; meanwhile, they found a "small leak" that they hadn't noticed before but the bill remained inexplicably high.

The water bill imbroglio unfolded early in 2024, when a winter storm and the concealed leak conspired, unchecked, to inflate Chatmon's costs beyond her financial reach. After a protracted bureaucratic tango with Houston Public Works, the bill was adjusted steeply down to a mere $13.92, "Houston Public Works encourages customers to reach out to Customer Account Services at 713-371-1400 to resolve billing issues. We recently launched in-person or virtual appointments to assist customers. They can schedule them online at HoustonWaterBills.org or by calling the number above." a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the Kemps, a different Houston family, have opted for an unorthodox strategy to skirt the shock of water bill revelations by intentionally overpaying month over month, according to Click2Houston. After noticing a significant difference between their actual water use and the city's charges, they have taken to meticulously tracking their water usage through spreadsheets.

"Because I don’t want to be surprised by a huge bill," Wendy Kemp told Click2Houston, encapsulating the family's proactive, if unusual, financial defense against the city's erratic billing practices the couple expressed concerns that the city would reconcile their account, slamming them with a large retroactive fee, hence, they'd rather amass credit over time than be blinds for an inevitable financial strike.

The city advises those with discrepancies to reach out to Customer Account Services.