HOUSTON — A Texas couple is disputing a water bill that shows they used 209,000 gallons of water in June, arguing the amount is impossible and alleging a leak in Aqua Texas infrastructure behind their home may have caused the unusually high reading.
Melinda Speryl said Aqua Texas billed her and her husband for 209,000 gallons of water, with most of the usage allegedly occurring on two separate days during the month.
“There was a water break, but Aqua Texas is telling me it was something in our yard that broke, mysteriously fixed itself, and broke again,” Speryl said.
After speaking with neighbors and her homeowners association, Speryl said she believes the excessive usage may be linked to a leak in an Aqua Texas pipe behind the property.
She said such a large volume of water could not have been consumed by her household and that any leak of that magnitude would likely have caused visible flooding.
Speryl, a licensed irrigator, said she found no evidence of a leak on her property.
In a statement, Aqua Texas said it is aware of the customer’s concerns and has been communicating with the couple.
“In early June, our team responded to a high water consumption alert at the property and confirmed that the meter was operating properly and accurately recorded the water that passed through it,” the company said. “We remain committed to working with our customers to investigate concerns and provide information about their water use and billing.”
The company has not publicly identified the cause of the reported water usage. The dispute remains unresolved.
