A Houston business owner says she finally has running water again after spending seven weeks trying to get a water line repaired, all while receiving a bill for nearly $2,000.
Vicky Maldonado, whose family operates an auto shop in southwest Houston, reached out to KPRC 2 News after struggling to get answers about the water outage.
Maldonado said her business went without water for weeks, making it difficult for her family to keep operations running.
“This is what I’ve been dealing with for the past seven weeks. Absolutely no water,” Maldonado said.
Adding to her frustration, she received a water bill totaling $1,936.
Maldonado initially believed construction near a METRO bus stop may have caused the problem. However, METRO told KPRC 2 it had not performed work at that location since 2023.
KPRC 2 reviewed Maldonado’s paperwork and contacted both METRO and Houston Public Works to find out who was responsible for the problem, why the water line had not been repaired and what would happen to her bill.
Within hours of KPRC 2’s visit, Maldonado said someone from the city arrived to investigate.
Four days later, Houston Public Works crews replaced a failed coupling, restoring water service to the property.
Maldonado credited KPRC 2’s involvement with helping get her concerns in front of the appropriate city departments.
“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,” she said.
What to do if you’re having problems with city services
If you’re dealing with a city service issue in Houston, there are several steps you can take to document the problem and follow up:
Maldonado’s $1,936 water bill is still under review.
KPRC 2 will continue to follow up on the billing dispute.
