ROCKDALE, Texas (KRHD) — Dozens of Rockdale residents are complaining about significant increases in their water bills this month.
- Vanessa Baxter says her water bill increased by 118%, from $88.49 to $193.70 monthly.
- The City of Rockdale says the increases are due to customers' higher water consumption, not rate hikes.
- Baxter says she's had a local plumbing company and her landlord inspect her meter and pipes, finding no leaks. She's been conserving water since moving in.
- The city says anyone with a higher bill should reach out with any concerns.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"There's no way this can be right. No way this can be right. I've never seen anything like this my entire adult life," she said.
Can you guess the difference between Vanessa Baxter's water bill from October to now?
"The previous month, they, I had $88.49, "Baxter said.
But now the bill is significantly higher.
"Do you want me to tell this month? This month, they're claiming that I used 14,000 gallons of water. No way, and they're charging me $193.70," Baxter said.
But like other neighbors in Rockdale, Baxter couldn't tell you why.
"So, I do my dishes the old-fashioned way and try to save as much water as possible," Baxter said.
15ABC reached out to the city. The city sent 15ABC a statement saying the last rate increase was last year, that "any increase customers may be experiencing will be due to increased consumption," and that it averages sewer bills for December, January, and February to determine the price for the rest of the year.
But Vanessa said she's only been in town since September.
"Well, who's to say how many people lived in this house last year," Baxter said.
Now, this bill is stressing her out on top of other expenses.
"I'm panicking because how do I pay for this," Baxter said. "It's a very uneasy feeling knowing that you can't afford the necessities in this little town in Texas," she said. "I hear so many complaints that we just cannot afford the cost of living, and we can't. We absolutely cannot. The city needs to step in."
