Houston business owner gets water after seven-week outage and $1,936 bill

Seven Weeks Without Running Water and a $1,936 Bill in Southwest Houston

Vicky Maldonado spent nearly two months dealing with a dry tap at her family’s auto shop in southwest Houston, only to open her mail and find a utility statement demanding $1,936. While businesses across the country grapple with municipal infrastructure fees, Maldonado's ordeal highlights the grinding friction of dealing with city services when a water line fails completely.

According to a report by KPRC 2 News, Maldonado’s ordeal began with an extended water outage that severely disrupted daily operations at the family business. “This is what I’ve been dealing with for the past seven weeks. Absolutely no water,” Maldonado said.

Untangling Responsibility Between METRO and City Crews

Initially, Maldonado suspected that nearby construction by a METRO bus stop might have damaged the water infrastructure feeding her property. However, METRO told KPRC 2 News that the agency had not performed any construction work at that specific location since 2023, leaving the root cause of the outage initially unexplained.

City restores water to business after 7 weeks

Reporters from KPRC 2 News stepped in to review Maldonado’s paperwork, subsequently contacting both METRO and Houston Public Works to pinpoint accountability, uncover why the line remained unfixed, and challenge the steep utility charges.

Within hours of the media visit, a city investigator arrived at the property. Four days later, Houston Public Works crews replaced a failed coupling, finally restoring running water to the auto shop.

Seven weeks without water. A $1,936.87 bill.

You, the first time I messaged with you, you were very helpful, and it helped with a lot of communications with higher-ups and different departments,” Maldonado said.

City Officials Review the Disputed Water Bill

Despite the restored service, Maldonado’s financial dispute remains unsettled. Her $1,936 water bill is currently under review by city officials, and KPRC 2 News will continue following the billing case as it moves through municipal channels.

For Houston residents and business owners confronting similar utility or service failures, several steps can be taken to document the problem and follow up:

Call 3-1-1: File a report regarding the issue and request a service request number so that you can monitor your complaint.
Keep documentation: Save photos, emails, bills and records of conversations with city departments.
Dispute an unexpected water bill: Reach out to Houston Public Works by calling 713-371-1400 to inquire about getting a billing review or a potential adjustment.