Retired Texas seniors cut water due to spiking fees. Here’s the monstrous monthly cost (she’d rather eat)

The company is expanding. But the cost problem it represents is spreading nationwide.

Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that investor-owned water utilities charge significantly more, on average, than their publicly owned counterparts, even after controlling for system size, water source, and region (2). A 2024 analysis by Bluefield Research found that the combined water and sewer bill of the typical American household rose 4.6% in one year – and nearly 24% in five years (3). Those bills in Birmingham, Alabama and Cleveland, Ohio now exceed the EPA’s affordability threshold of 4.5% of median household income.

And the industry is rapidly consolidating. In late 2025, American Water Works and Essential Utilities announced a $40 billion merger, combining the nation’s two largest municipal water and wastewater companies (4). Food and Water Watch described the deal as a step toward a “dangerous, anti-consumer monopoly” (5).

What makes these bills so painful for low-usage customers like Mann is their structure. A December 2024 EPA report to Congress found that water rate structures have become more regressive over time—utilities are collecting less through volumetric charges based on actual consumption and more through flat charges that apply no matter how little water a household uses (6). That’s the math after a $9 water bill that costs $169.

Meanwhile, the safety net has thinned. The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), a pandemic-era federal program that helped more than 1.5 million households cover their water bills, ended March 31, 2024, with no replacement (7). There is no permanent federal water assistance program equivalent to LIHEAP, which covers heating and cooling. In a January 2026 analysis, the National Consumer Law Center and the Natural Resources Defense Council argued that water affordability needs to be treated with the same policy urgency as energy costs—and that seniors on fixed incomes are bearing a disproportionate share of the burden (8).

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Texas Water Utilities told 13 Investigators that its customers do not pay separate municipal utility district (MUD) fees, so its monthly bill represents the full cost of service, including all rates approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas. The PUCT said that investor-owned utilities must show why a rate increase is necessary, and that the commission only approves increases that it deems fair and reasonable.

The company also offers a $40-per-month financial assistance program for qualified customers.

When 13 researchers recently followed up with Mann, she had come out of retirement — driven in large part, she said, by her water bill. She is still dragging the bags. Still choosing between water and groceries.

“They’re not regulating them. You’re letting them do what they want to do, and people are complaining, but basically they’re getting the same reaction I got,” she said.

You can’t fix a broken rate structure on your own, but you don’t have to accept it silently.

1. Read your bill like a financial statement. Find out which charges are fixed and which are tied to usage. If fees make up a large portion of your bill—as they did for Mann—then cutting your shower short won’t change much. But knowing the breakdown tells you where to focus your fight.

2. Fix leaks before fixing your budget. The EPA estimates that household leaks amount to approximately 10,000 gallons of waste per year (9). A running toilet can burn hundreds of gallons a day. Quick test: Drop food coloring into the tank, wait 10 minutes, and check the bowl.

3. Swap to a low-flow fixture. Products that carry the EPA’s WaterSense label use at least 20% less water than standard models. WaterSense toilets can reduce toilet-related water use by up to 60%—about 13,000 gallons per year. Faucet aerators run a few dollars and pay for themselves within a billing cycle or two.

4. Apply for assistance – if you think you don’t qualify. Federal LIHWAP funding has run out, but many utilities and states still run their own programs. Texas water utilities offer $40 per month for qualified customers. American Water’s H2O Help to Others program provides grants of up to $500 annually (10). Your local community service agency or Benefits.gov can show you what’s available in your area.

5. File a complaint with your state utility commission. In Texas, the PUCT accepts consumer complaints directly (11). Every state has its version. A formal complaint creates a paper trail that regulators are obligated to review — and when those are sufficient, rate cases are opened.

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We rely only on vetted sources and reliable third-party reporting. For details, see our Editorial ethics and guidelines.

ABC13/KTRK Houston, 13 Investigates (1); University of Wisconsin-Madison/Water and Health Advisory Council (2); Bluefield Research (3); Why / NPR (4); Food and Water Watch (5); US Environmental Protection Agency (6, 9); US Administration for Children and Families (7); National Consumer Law Center / NRDC (8); American Water (10); Public Utilities Commission of Texas (11)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.