TEXAS, USA — Central Texans are flooding social media with pictures of their water and sewage bills, which have more than tripled in some areas.
City officials in Hewitt, Temple and Waco say rates haven't increased since last year.
According to Hewitt City Manager Bo Thomas, the only reason water bills "skyrocket" is because of leaks or irrigation. He said all the complaints sent to the city can be traced back to people running their sprinklers.
Temple Utilities recommends the following for people who are seeing higher water bills than usual:
- Check your water meter for leaks. This can be done by turning off all the water in your home. Wait a couple hours, then check the reading to see if it has changed. If it has, you probably have a leak.
- Check your outdoor water systems for leaks. Walk around your house to look at all your taps, hoses, fountains, and sprinklers. Water puddles or sections of greener grass could be signs of a leak.
- Check your toilet. Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank and leave it for an hour or two. If the color has made its way into the toilet bowl, you might have a leak.
- Check under your appliances and cabinets for dripping and pooling.
For sewer bills, Hewitt has three payment options people can choose from. The "standard" option is a flat rate plus consumption. The "winter average" option averages how much water you consume in winter to determine your rate. There's also a "flat rate option."
Most Temple sewage rates are based on the average from the winter, between January and March. That rate kicks in in May. If you just saw an increase, it's because you used more water this winter than the winter before.
Temple expects to raise their water rates in October.
If you have concerns about your water bill, contact your city's utility office.
"There's nothing on somebody's water bill that they haven't seen before," Jessica Emmett Sellers, Senior Public Information and Communications specialist for Waco, said. "They get the calls all the time. They'll help people get to the bottom of whatever is going on."
Sellers encourages those who live in Waco to sign up for My Waco Water. This helps track your usage.