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City vows no disconnections as staff reviews April water bills after dozens of complaints
Summary
Amarillo officials said they will not disconnect service or assess late fees tied to disputed April water bills while staff and vendors review billing data; residents described bills that jumped from hundreds to tens of thousands of gallons and urged refunds or temporary flat-rate billing.
Mayor and city staff told residents at the May 20 Amarillo City Council meeting that the city is reviewing complaints about April water and sewer bills and will not disconnect service or charge late fees related to those bills while the review continues.
"You will not have to pay for more than you actually used," said the official who briefed the council about the earlier press conference and outreach. The speaker outlined two illustrative problems already identified: duplicate meter-read entries that produced incorrect usage graphs for some customers and variability in billing-cycle lengths after a recent system conversion that shifted usage into higher tiers for certain accounts. The city said it will correct and adjust accounts if errors are found.
Several residents described personal hardships. Heather Moores said her March bill showed 13,000 gallons but her April bill returned as 48,000 gallons despite being out of the country for three weeks; Elaine Oliver said a $416 bill on Social Security threatened her ability to stay in her home. Other residents reported auto-drafts for large amounts and long call-center hold times.
City staff urged customers to provide account information at the meeting so staff can investigate individual accounts, said the city will waive meter‑testing fees during the review period, and promised a full report to council at the next meeting on May 26. Staff also said they will issue public updates later in the week and mid‑next week and consider temporary billing options while the investigations continue.
The council did not take formal policy action at the meeting but directed staff to continue the review and return with findings and options. The city repeated that temporary measures — such as holding disconnects and waiving testing fees — are in effect while the technical review and reconciliation proceed.
