Disputing water bills; administrative review and hearing.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-70.1
in effectSec. 47-70.1. - Disputing water bills; administrative review and hearing.
(a) Customers have the right to request an administrative review and/or administrative hearing. The policies governing such review and hearing are prescribed by the utility official and will be available to any person upon request; provided, however, the field investigator for the city shall be authorized to conduct such inquiry or investigation as the investigator or reviewing official shall deem appropriate, including, but not limited to, personal inspection of the customer location and water connection. The reviewing official may also receive and consider information submitted by the customer, to include: Reports from plumbers, engineers, or other relevant sources; and relevant photographs and other tangible information, whether provided by the city or the customer. The customer has 90 days from the date of the first bill that is disputed to request an administrative review or hearing.
(b) An administrative review is an investigation by the department of the customer's account and relevant facts in order to resolve the dispute.
(c) A customer may request an administrative hearing within ten days of the date of the customer's notification of the administrative review outcome, to review disputes related to article I, division 1 of article II, and article III of this chapter. Before the customer may request the administrative hearing, the department must complete an administrative review of the disputed charges that are the subject of the administrative hearing. The hearing shall be set at a reasonable time and place and shall be held before a hearing officer independent of the operation of the city's water and sewer system, designated by the utility official, with the power to correct or adjust water bills in accordance with applicable laws; provided, however, the department shall not provide hearings for the following:
(1) The terms or denial of a deferred pay agreement;
(2) The amount, terms or denial of assistance from the W.A.T.E.R. Fund;
(3) The customer's financial inability to pay for water services;
(4) The rate schedule;
(5) The amount of deposit;
(6) The amount or application of late penalties;
(7) Requests that are inconsistent with city ordinances;
(8) The cost of administrative fees;
(9) A matter where the complainant is not the customer for the account; or
(10) A decision by the utility official under subsection 47-73(c) of this Code as to whether or not a payment plan should be extended.
(d) The customer has the right to be represented by counsel or any other agent at said hearing and shall notify the city at least ten business days prior to the hearing of such representation. In the event the customer is represented by legal counsel, the city may likewise be represented by legal counsel. Failure of the customer to give advance notice of representation by legal counsel will result in the hearing being postponed unless the city fails to object to such lack of notice. In addition to the evidence presented by the customer and the department, the hearing officer may, at the hearing officer's discretion, request additional evidence from either party and may conduct such additional inquiry or investigation as the hearing officer deems appropriate. The hearing officer shall consider all credible evidence presented and shall, based on a preponderance of the evidence, render a written ruling upholding the decision of the department, modifying the decision of the department, or reversing the decision of the department in accordance with applicable laws. The hearing officer's written ruling shall specify the applicable provision of this Code and shall direct the actions to be taken by the department to implement the ruling. The department shall ensure that a record is made of the hearing.
(e) Termination of service is suspended by a request for an administrative hearing unless the service was terminated prior to the customer's request for the hearing, the customer closes or transfers his account to a new address, the customer fails to pay charges not in dispute or the customer has prevented the city from obtaining meter readings within the last 60 days.
(Ord. No. 84-1919, § 3, 12-18-84; Ord. No. 86-435, § 2, 4-1-86; Ord. No. 92-23, § 5, 1-15-92; Ord. No. 03-925, § 5, 10-8-03; Ord. No. 03-1196, § 2, 12-23-03; Ord. No. 07-599, § 28, 5-16-07; Ord. No. 2013-320, § 4, 4-10-2013, eff. 6-1-2013; Ord. No. 2021-583, § 4, 6-30-2021)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH47WASE_ARTIICIWASECH_DIV1GE_S47-70.1DIWABIADREHEFetched: 10/26/2026