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>> The time now 6.42. New
electronic reading devices that
are supposed to make it easier
for the city to.
>> Accurately get your water
meter reading remotely are
causing huge headaches and
astronomical water bills for
Houston customers.
Investigative reporter Amy
Davis has been digging into
these water department issues
leaving you drain. She’s here
now with what to do. If you
haven’t gotten a big deal yet,
Amy?
>> Yeah, we keep doing these
stories and warning people
because if you haven’t gotten
one, it’s likely you will so
important if you have your
Houston water account on auto
pay, you really should check
it today. The city’s replacing
old outdated, electronic
reading devices on thousands
of meters. You’re not going to
get any notice before they come
to your neighborhood and
customers who had their device
replaced a few weeks ago were
shocked when they got their
latest water bills.
>> I think this this is
socialism with non who is no
water meter expert, but he can
point out what looks different
in his box a few weeks ago,
he noticed workers attaching
these devices on the meter,
lids and the register that
shows his meter reading was
also replaced. But it was his
family’s next water bill that
really got his attention.
Check it out. The city says he
owes more than $23,600.
>> I could see maybe a 40300,
but for So that’s like a car.
If I’m buying a new car, his
neighbors in Kirkwood South and
the Sage one area were also
shocked. Jessica Sanchez’s bill
is a lot more than we’re
expecting is more than $2600.
Robert Tomlinson next door is
looking at a bill for 5,447
bucks.
>> I mean, I would have to have
a a geyser coming up. My
backyard motor have a bill that
high.
>> They each reached out to the
water department. They
basically told her that they
were doing an investigation on
it. Then we have to call back
in.
>> 27 days to figure out what’s
going on at all. My life.
Like why are we having a call
back if it’s their mistake?
Houston public works told us
it is aware that replacing
remote meter reading devices
has resulted in some customers
seeing automatically generated
bills.
>> In the thousands of dollars,
Houston public works apologizes
for the stress and confusion
created by these erroneous
bills. What workers are
installing are these a new
reading devices? They’ll
transmit your meter reading
back to the water department.
>> We’ve told you how Houston
Public Works says most of the
reading devices on meters now
were installed in the 90’s.
They don’t work anymore.
The city is replacing all of
them over the next few years.
But they’re already 2 years
behind schedule because of
supply chain delays. Public
works hasn’t told us exactly
where they’re installing the
new devices. First, we know
from these customers that Sage
Morris Eve some and customers
near. I-10 and Eldridge have
also that on who rushed home
last week when a neighbor let
him know a water department
employee was looking at his
meter when he arrived. Non who
says the city employee told
him he had a leak because the
dial on his meter was spinning.
>> I say wall for your
information. I just left.
I said in my dishwashers
running. So he ready made the
no hitter. Eddie called the
city telling them we had a leak
for even talk to me.
>> And then Don H* says that
same employee told him he was
circling back to fix dozens
of reading devices. A
third-party contractor had
installed incorrectly.
Meanwhile, he and his neighbors
wait for the city to correct
their bills. Well, they figure
out what went wrong.
>> Take care of it on your.
And you know, there’s a
mistake. You know, we’re just
trying to make a living like
everybody else and understand
they are, too. But that’s their
job.
>> So as these reading devices
are attached the meters that
haven’t been actually read in
years, you may be shocked when
you receive a bill for 5 or
10,000 gallons of water because
you’re just not used to paying
for actual water usage asked
Houston public works if they
plan to back to Bill customers
for water that they were not
previously build 4 or if they
just plan to get a current
usage moving forward. The city
has a good answer. That
question.
>> That’s the important
question. So what we know, so
we’re not surprised.
>> Well, so most importantly, a
lot of people have no idea how
much water that they’re being
billed for, how much they used
to go online. Check your water
usage. History and you should
go ahead and download and save
your past bills. So you can see
the amount of water you’ve been
using in some instances.
These devices are replaced on
meters. Customers are telling
us that their usage history is
removed from their accounts.
So if you haven’t saved before
saved or bills, you don’t know
how much water you’ve been
using and how much you paid for
it in the past. But I think you
definitely know like that.
One customer said I have to
have a geyser and right guard.
Yeah. Pay for Yeah. But then
when he goes in to show the
city like how much he’s been
paying for, he’s like, I don’t