Hewitt and Temple officials on rising water and sewer bills

TEXAS, USA — Central Texas residents are flooding social media with images of their water and sewer bills, which have more than tripled in some areas.

City officials in Hewitt, Temple and Waco say rates have not been increased since last year.

According to Bo Thomas, Hewitt's city manager, the only reason water bills “skyrocket” is because of leaks or irrigation systems. He said all of the complaints that go to the city are because of people leaving their sprinkler systems running.

Temple Utilities recommends the following to people whose water bills are higher than usual:

• Check your water meter for leaks. You can do this by turning off all the water in your home. Wait a few hours and then check the reading to see if it has changed. If so, you probably have a leak.
• Check your outdoor water systems for leaks. Walk around your home and look at all faucets, hoses, fountains, and sprinklers. Puddles of water or sections of greener grass could be signs of a leak.
• Check your toilet. Put a little food coloring in the toilet tank and let it sit for one to two hours. If the coloring has gotten into the toilet bowl, you may have a leak.
• Look for drips and puddles under your appliances and cabinets.

For sewer bills, Hewitt offers three payment options to choose from. The “Standard” option is a flat rate plus usage. The “Winter Average” option calculates the average of your winter water usage to determine your rate. There is also a “Flat Rate” option.

Most of the Temple's sewerage fees are based on the winter average between January and March. This fee goes into effect in May. If you've just noticed an increase, it's because you've used more water this winter than the winter before.

Temple expects water prices to increase in October.

If you have concerns about your water bill, contact your city's utility company.

“There's nothing on people's water bills that they haven't seen before,” said Jessica Emmett Sellers, senior information and communications specialist for Waco. “They get calls like that all the time. They help people get to the bottom of things.”

Sellers recommends Waco residents sign up for My Waco Water to track their usage.