Utility Billing Update - November 21, 2023
The City of Aledo is working to modernize and improve our systems and processes. This includes installing new automated water meters and implementing an online customer portal. The meter upgrades are still in progress with completion anticipated by the end of this year. Once all installations are complete, the online customer portal will be available to customers -- increasing transparency and allowing customers to view their account and water usage at any time.
We are aware of multiple issues with September and October bills and are working to investigate and correct them. This message is intended to begin communicating what we know at this time, and we will be following up to share more information.
Issue 1:
400 customers were billed for 6 weeks of water use rather than 30 days on September’s bill
What we know:
- The issue occurred when pulling data from the new water meters into our billing system.
- Approximately 400 customers received September bills for six weeks of usage rather than four weeks.
- When this was discovered, we reissued new September bills to these customers with the correct four weeks of usage.
- This delayed the drafting of auto-payments for all customers enrolled in autopay (even those who didn’t need a corrected bill) and delayed the deposits of customer payment checks.
- As a result, some October bills did not show the September payment was received and indicated both months being due.
How we’re resolving:
- We are working to communicate directly with the impacted customers to confirm September payments were received and clarify the remaining amount due.
- All October bill bank-draft payments have been delayed to Nov. 22 allowing staff more time to respond to customers about the actual amount due.
- No late fees or shut-offs will happen as a result of delayed payments while we work to resolve this issue.
Issue 2: About 380 customers were overcharged for sewer in October
What we know:
- Approximately 380 customers were overcharged by up to about $16 (depending on usage) for sewer.
How we’re resolving:
- All overcharged accounts will be credited in the upcoming November bill.
Issue 3: Customers have questions about higher water usage than expected
What we know:
- The September bill is for water use from early August to early September – a very hot and dry period. The highest temperature in August was 104, and we only received just over a half inch of precipitation the entire month.
- Most of Texas has been in some level of drought this year. In Aledo, hotter weather and lower precipitation has continued into this fall which may cause higher consumption as customers maintain lawns, swimming pools, and landscaping.
- You also may have noticed dry soils showing cracks in your yard. When dry soil contracts, it can cause buried irrigation lines to shift, crack or break which can result in leaks. We recommend having sprinkler systems inspected for leaks as one possible source of higher water use.
- Older, worn-out water meters become less accurate over time. In some cases, older meters may have been registering only a portion of the actual water delivered to customers. Because new meters measure water flows more accurately, customers with the new meters may notice a change in the amount of consumption on their bill.
How we’re resolving:
- The meter upgrades should be complete by the end of this year and the usage data from the new meters will be available for customers to view in the online portal at any time.
- Customers will be able to log into the portal and view daily (and even hourly) usage to identify when your household is using the most water, what activities are the source of the highest use, and if you might have a leak.
Responding to Our Customers
We apologize these issues have caused confusion and have taken longer to investigate and respond. Due to limited staff, it takes time to respond to each customer. Please know that we are working as quickly as possible to follow up on each call and email received. Here are other steps we’re taking:
- We recently contracted additional temporary staff to assist with this effort.
- To help our staff more quickly identify and resolve specific issue(s), we ask customers to complete this online form: Customer Water Bill Inquiry Form. This will enable us to direct those to the correct team member/expert.
- We will be providing information in the November bill to address the most common questions we’re receiving.
Internal Quality Control and Independent Audit Underway
- At City Council's direction, we have hired a third-party contractor to conduct a thorough and rigorous audit of the utility billing process – from meter to payment.
- The contractor will report their findings back to Council and the newly developed Utility Billing Advisory Committee. We will also share those results with our customers and take the necessary actions based on those recommendations.
- In the meantime, our staff is working diligently to investigate and address the recent billing issues to avoid them in the future.
Our team is dedicated to serving the community and committed to doing what it takes to meet your needs and earn your trust. We are working to increase our communications and will be providing information and updates more frequently. Thank you for your patience, understanding and support while we make the improvements needed to modernize our system and processes and better serve our community.