Texas City officials outline water billing goals and app enrollment

Andrea Rivera, the city’s utilities customer service presenter, outlined water billing metrics and goals for fiscal year 2026. Rivera said 1,880 customers are enrolled in the city’s 'Eye on Water' leak‑monitoring app out of about 20,058 customers, which staff said enables real‑time usage tracking and leak alerts that can prevent surprise charges. Rivera said paperless billing enrollment rose from 5,442 in 2021 to 13,276 in 2025 — a nearly 30% uptick in enrollments this year. Rivera said the department’s FY2026 goals include increasing paperless billing by 40 percent, raising online payments from 65 percent to 80 percent, and increasing a category described in the presentation as 'ion water users' (term in the transcript unclear) from 10 percent to 40 percent. Rivera also said staff plan to complete a water revenue audit with WCA.

Commissioners praised the 'Eye on Water' app as a useful customer tool. One commissioner recounted discovering a household leak while away on vacation after checking the app and urged staff to continue outreach so more customers enroll. The presentation did not include a formal vote; it was provided for informational purposes. The utilities department said customers may pay by mail, dropbox at the library, in person, online, or at participating retail locations such as Foodarama.