Missing water meter found under concrete

HOUSTON “Imagine paying your water bills on time every month, and years later you find out that you actually paid for the water your neighbors used. And now the Houston Water Department says you owe thousands more for your own water.

Our KPRC 2 Investigation Team has another example of water problems in Houston that caused customers to “DRY”.

Missing Water Meter Confusion

This is a story about two meters and one single mother in the Fifth District. Andrea Harklerod is horrified that the city of Houston is giving her a $15,000 water bill.

“You know, it’s like talking to a brick wall,” said Harklerod.

To explain what upset and frightened her, you need a backstory.

Harklerod bought her house in 2019 and set up a water account. Her accounts were permanent. Her first hint that something was wrong came a few months later, when she realized that turning off the meter in the driveway wouldn’t stop the water in her house. She reported the problem to the city, but got nowhere.

“No one ever came. No one answered,” she said.

Two years later, during a February frost, her pipes burst and water gushed into her house. She called again and emailed the city.

“I called 911. I asked, ‘Can the fire department turn off the water because I don’t have the ability to turn off the water,'” Harclerod said.

Three days later, the city sent a man who found a valve under some siding in her house to stop the water.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, the water’s off,’ and they’re gone. It doesn’t seem to fix anything. No follow up, nothing,” she explained.

Neighbors told the homeowner that the meter was buried under the porch

Harklerod’s neighbors, who have lived here for decades, told her that the meter to her house had been paved over by the previous owners. It was underground. She reported this to the city repeatedly in 2021, but continued to pay the bills they sent until she received one for $741.

“I told them, I thought, ‘That’s the last straw,'” Harclerod said. “It’s more than my mortgage and I don’t even have a car note.”

Her Ring camera captured a January day when a public works worker finally came out to find *her* meter.

A couple of hours of digging revealed that the Harclerod counter was on the other side of her driveway.

Finally solved the four-year mystery of the water meter.

But no, this story takes a different turn.

A few days later, the city sent her a bill worth more than $15,000.

“I’m in tears half the time trying to explain my situation over and over again. It’s just, it’s so frustrating.”

The dial of the water meter that Harclerod paid for four years is still spinning, directing water somewhere.

“I go to school. I work. I take care of the child. It’s like I’ve spent hours and hours over the past month trying to talk to them,” Harclerod said.

On February 9, we asked the water department how they determined that Harclerod was over $15,000 in debt. Although they didn’t answer our question, they assigned a case officer to Harklerod’s account to investigate. And while they’re doing that, they’ve shelved this bill. We will monitor and let you know what happens.

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