The Houston Water Department plans to replace meter sensors

You may soon notice a change in your water bills. Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced that the city’s water department is ahead of schedule in replacing damaged remote-reading sensors connected to residential water meters.

The project, which is part of the Water Bill Improvement Plan launched in April, is a two-year project KPRC 2 investigation into water billing inaccuracies and meter reading errors. The work was initially scheduled to be completed by the end of December, but the mayor confirmed Wednesday that the repairs would be completed by Thanksgiving, a full month ahead of schedule.

“When we started this journey, previous management estimated it would take five years to replace all the damaged equipment,” Whitmire said. “We are proud to announce this significant progress that ensures fair and accurate billing for our residents.”

The accelerated schedule reflects changes in Houston Public Works leadership. The former principal resigned in April amid public criticism, and Randy Macchi was officially confirmed as the new principal at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

Macchi emphasized the department’s renewed focus on customer service.

“Some of the things we had to do there weren’t just infrastructure related. It had to do with customer service. We got lost in the way we treated the customer when he came to us with a problem. We forgot that we are there to serve them, not just collect money from them,” Macchi said.

What this means for Houston water customers

For many Houstonians, this means the end of water bills based on estimated usage.

The city assured residents that if they use more water than estimated during the repair period, they will not be charged back the difference.

“All customers will soon see bills reflecting their actual water consumption,” the mayor’s office confirmed.

The improvements come after years of frustration among residents over incorrect bills and delayed repairs.

If your lower bills based on estimated kit usage haven’t ended yet, you will soon. All water customers will be billed based on actual consumption. Keep in mind that if you used more water than the city estimated during your set usage periods, the water department said it wouldn’t bill you for that amount.

Check out the full plan here.

Do you have a problem you’d like Amy to address? E-mail [email protected]. You can also email Investigates producer Andrea Slaydon at [email protected].