95-year-old SW Houston woman says bill adjustment came after action from ABC13

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman in southwest Houston, who says she's on a fixed income, says big water bills have been causing her problems this summer.

The 95-year-old woman, Ethel Givens, said she was shocked to receive a nearly $900 bill.

"And I called them to find out, and they're saying I had a leak. And so, he told me I had to get a licensed plumber to fix it, and they would give me an adjustment," Givens said.

Givens said even after she got her leaky toilet fixed in May, the adjustment never came.

Instead, she says the city's billing team told her to pay at least $81 a month.

All of it a pretty penny for the 95-year-old woman.

"She's careful in what she do and how she does it, in order for her to pay her bills monthly on a fixed income, so she has to pay attention to all of this, she can't just pop up and pay this," Janice Ceaser, Givens' caretaker, said.

But Wednesday afternoon, Givens and her caretaker said they finally got a call about a change.

"It's still $958, but the adjustment is $330 now that, that's what she has to pay," Ceaser said.

When ABC13 reached out to Public Works, they said it was a coincidence that Ms. Givens received a price adjustment Wednesday, but Givens said otherwise.

"I didn't get nothing until Channel 13 called, and after you all called, everything got done today," Givens said.

ABC13 is still waiting to hear back from Public Works about the issue, but they said on average it typically takes around 30 days for a price adjustment.

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