2021-106 Review of Northeast Denton Water ConcernsDecember 3, 2021 Report No. 2021-106
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Review of northeast Denton neighborhood water usage concerns
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Staff recently reviewed high water bill complaints that surfaced on social media. After assessing
the usage of 36 separate accounts, no billing or meter system errors were discovered. This report
provides information on the processes used by staff to ensure usage information and bill amounts
are accurate. Staff is hosting a virtual community meeting on December 16, 2021, to provide
information to the community and answer questions about water billing.
BACKGROUND:
On October 27, 2021, staff was contacted by Council Member Beck after he had received several
high-water bill complaints from customers in the northeast Denton area. The Council Member
requested and received information from several dozen persons who felt their September water
bills were too high via a webform. After reviewing the accounts of the 19 complaints received
listed in the webform, staff responded on October 28, 2021, that most of the accounts listed were
in line with the previous usage in prior years, and a small portion should be investigated for
possible plumbing leaks.
On November 8, 2021, Council Member Beck notified staff he had received additional complaints
(36 complaints, including the previous 19) on his webform, would like them investigated to rule
out any issues with the billing or metering system. Out of an abundance of caution, staff initiated
a review.
DISCUSSION:
Customer Service Manager Christa Foster reviewed the usage history of 36 accounts included in
a spreadsheet of bill complaints. It was determined that most of the accounts listed on the
spreadsheet have usage consistent with the customer’s usage history.
The review resulted in 24 accounts with no apparent bill, meter read, or meter function issues, two
(2) confirmed customer-side water leaks, three (3) misreads, one (1) estimated read, two (2)
locations had location-specific circumstances which may account for valid, increased usage, two
(2) customers reporting no water billing issues, one (1) customer who misunderstood and was
reporting electric consumption, and one (1) duplicate entry.
Water meters for five (5) accounts showing the most significant variation in recent consumption
were proactively pulled and bench-tested for meter calibration accuracy. No tested meter reported
excessive consumption, which would not show more than the account’s actual usage.
Internal work cases were reviewed for ten (10) customers who contacted Customer Service, and
all have been actively and appropriately addressed.
December 3, 2021 Report No. 2021-106
A review of the billing system and meter operations were also performed. There is no evidence
of a billing, meter, or meter reading error affecting customers.
Breakdown of Account Findings:
Of the 36 accounts reported through the webform, two customers included their information only
to say no water consumption or bill-related concerns. One customer submitted in error and one
account was entered separately by two household members. These accounts are not reflected in
the breakdown below:
No Problem
Evident
Confirmed
Misread/Estimate
Confirmed
Private Leak
Non-Leak Water
Use*
Total Accounts
Reviewed
24 4 2 2 32
* Field crews identified the presence of outdoor water sources which were left running
and/or new sod installation, but no evidence of a leak
In comments submitted through the webform, three customers indicated concerns regarding their
bill were due to social media posts discussing a widespread billing problem.
It is also important to note that when a misread occurs, the accurate read the following month
prevents continued issues with the account. When misreads are identified, Customer Service
prorates the two-month consumption to ensure the customer is billed at the appropriate tiered rate.
Customer perception of very high or excessive usage was subjective. Billed usage which was
reported as concerning ranged from a monthly total usage of 4,500 gallons to 74,000 gallons of
water. A total of four (4) accounts met or exceeded 50,000 gallons of usage. In each of these cases,
water usage increase was associated with accounts with confirmed leaks or read issues.
Billing and Metering Accuracy Processes:
To ensure billing accuracy, the mobile hand-held units used to record water usage require readers
to re-enter the usage and take a photo of any suspiciously high or low entry. Once usage is imported
to the billing system, two independent analyses of any meter reads flagged as potentially high/low
are conducted. Questionable reads initiate an account review and may be submitted for additional
field verification before being released for billing.
Testing is conducted on meters to ensure they are calibrated accurately. The three-part process
validates the meter’s ability to accurately record a set volume of water being passed through at
distinct flow rates as defined by the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Water
volumes utilized for these tests are confirmed to be precise by both physical water level and total
water weight.
The meter read is confirmed at the beginning and completion of each stage of the test and the
accuracy is reported by the percentage of water movement accurately captured by the meter. Any
indication of a greater than 100% accuracy means the meter is over registering water consumption
while any lower number indicates water usage which is not being captured and billed. Results from
each test are compiled to determine the overall meter accuracy. AWWA standards recommend a
December 3, 2021 Report No. 2021-106
typical residential meter operates within a total reporting tolerance of
+/-1.5%.
To validate observations from account review, the five accounts with the greatest water
consumption variation from their historical averages were proactively pulled and tested to ensure
meter calibration. Results of these tests are shown below ranked from highest water volume
reported to lowest.
Flow Rate
¼ gpm 2 gpm 15 gpm Accuracy
Meter 1 98% 100% 99.80% 99.3%
Meter 2 98% 100.10% 99.40% 99.2%
Meter 3 96% 100% 99.10% 98.4%
Meter 4 95% 100% 99.60% 98.2%
Meter 5 92% 99% 98.40% 96.5%
Three meters were found to be running slow, outside of recommended reporting tolerance, but no
meter was found to be over-reporting water usage. As these tests were not conducted as a part of
standard field testing or at the request of a customer, no meters were replaced to ensure customers
are not penalized by the research conducted. All City of Denton water meters are on a routine
replacement schedule and these meters will be replaced within the existing schedule.
CONCLUSION:
A cross-department team from Water/Wastewater, DME, and Customer Service were unable to
find evidence of any widespread billing or meter errors relating to the complaints. Additionally,
33 of the reviewed accounts showed decreased usage for the current month’s bill.
Of the 36 complaints captured submitted by customers, a total of 10 customers contacted Customer
Service. In each case, appropriate steps were taken to confirm bill accuracy and/or assess the
potential of a leak. All customers were given follow-up information, necessary billing adjustments
were completed (three total) and next steps were communicated as applicable for their unique
situation.
It is not unusual, and there are prior instances where a high-water bill complaint communicated
via social media will create the perception of a widespread issue. This is likely due to customers
not being familiar with their usage patterns, particularly during the summer months. In all cases,
when a customer suspects unusual usage or error in meter reading/billing, the best approach is for
them to contact Customer Service (940-349-8700, customer.service@cityofdenton.com) as soon
as possible. That allows our representatives to review the account history with the customer and
be responsive to their unique questions and conditions. It also ensures that if there is a problem,
such as a possible leak or the need for a re-read, it can be addressed with them immediately.
Staff is hosting a virtual community meeting on Dec. 16, 2021, to provide information to the
community and answer questions about water billing. Additionally, staff is working to meet each
of the individual customers who expressed concern to provide information and resources.
December 3, 2021 Report No. 2021-106
STAFF CONTACT:
Christa Foster, Customer Service
Christa.Foster@cityofdenton.com
(940) 349-7412
REQUESTOR:
Staff Initiated
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS:
Customer Service, Water Metering, Denton Municipal Electric
STAFF TIME TO COMPLETE REPORT:
66 Hours (including review and meter testing)