Houston woman with massive water bill made one key mistake

HOUSTON -- April Cardwell is living in southwest Houston like a modern-day frontier woman. She hasn't had running water for nearly three months.

"It's been rough," she said. "I shower at work, we buy jugs of water daily to cook with, brush our teeth with, wash our hands with. We use our pool water to flush our toilets."

Cardwell moved into a rental home in the Braes Village East neighborhood in December. But in March, she got an extreme water bill, totaling over $4,000.00.

It turns out Cardwell had a major leak underneath the bathtub in her master bathroom. She told us her landlord told her to make the repair herself. But University of Houston Law Center Professor Richard Alderman told us otherwise.

"It usually is the landlord's responsibility to fix things -- the major things -- that break," he said.

Cardwell showed us her lease agreement, and major repairs were expressly stated under the landlord's responsibilities.

But desperate for running water at home, Cardwell saved money over time and spent $1,250 herself to make the repair. By June when it was done, her home water bill had skyrocketed to $17,000.

"They shut the water off a couple days later," said Cardwell.

Cardwell made a key mistake. She had stopped payments altogether. City of Houston Public Works spokesperson Alvin Wright offers this reminder -- Keep paying your bill every month, even if it's a small amount, to ensure your water stays on.

Cardwell has submitted leak adjustment forms and proof of repairs to the City, and in these cases they will typically adjust up to 50-percent of the total bill. Since Cardwell's case is so extreme, the City has agreed to explore options for further adjustment.

"The tenant in this case would still owe the water bill," said Alderman. "The landlord isn't responsible for the bill."

After Eyewitness News got involved, city workers turned Cardwell's water back on, only to find another major leak. It appears the leak has been spewing 40 gallons per minute, according to the City.

Now, Cardwell will have to repair this newfound leak, and bill her landlord. If he doesn't agree to pay for both leaks, Alderman said that Cardwell may have a solid legal case.

Wright reminds anyone who encounters a problem with your water bill because of a leak to ask for a supervisor when you call to explain the problem, then make sure the leak is repaired as quickly as possible. The person responsible for your water bill payment ultimately falls on the account holder. But the major repairs? That's a different story... as long as it's in your lease agreement.

"This is his property," said Cardwell. "It's his responsibility to maintain the property. I'm just a tenant."