‘There’s something wrong with this’: Elmendorf woman challenges $65 water charge

An Elmendorf woman said she’s paying for water she doesn’t use and believes the amount she’s being billed for isn’t accurate.

Julia Moreno, 81, moved to the small city in Southeast Bexar County about four years ago.

“I love it,” she said. “It’s peaceful, quiet.”

Her home is surrounded and filled with a plethora of plants, but the way the city bills customers for water has grown.

In addition to a garbage fee of $24.59, the City of Elmendorf charges customers a flat rate of $65.43 each month for using up to 3,000 gallons of water. An additional fee is added for customers who go over that threshold.

Even if customers don’t use a single drop of water, they will be billed for using up to 3,000 gallons. Moreno said she learned this after changing her mailing address to Elmendorf before moving to the city.

“I haven’t even had a cup of water, and I don’t even know where the water hydrant is,” she recalled. “The young lady [with the city] says, well, I’m sorry, but you have to pay the bill.”

For years, Moreno has kept paying the $92 bill every month, even when her bill shows that she’s thousands of gallons under the threshold.

She’s on a fixed income and says every dollar matters.

“Especially with the economy the way it’s right now,” Moreno said.

Moreno said she’s not sure she’s using the amount of water the city is billing her because the water consumption is listed in thousand-gallon increments.

“There’s something wrong with this,” she said.

Moreno has spoken with city leaders during council meetings and made calls to city hall, but feels like she’s gotten the runaround.

It’s why she turned to KSAT Investigates for help.

“I see that y’all get things done, taken care of,” she said. “This is not gonna be ignored or pushed under the rug.”

KSAT Investigates requested water usage data from the City of Elmendorf for the last year and a half, and found that on average, over half of customers use over 3,000 gallons of water each month.

Moreno typically stays below that threshold.

“That’s what I’m fighting for,” she explained. “Charge us only for water that we use.”

KSAT Investigates took Moreno’s concerns to Roxanne De Leon, Elmendorf’s assistant city administrator.

“Why can’t the people who use under 3,000 gallons just be charged for the amount of water that they’re using?” asked KSAT Investigates reporter Daniela Ibarra.

De Lon said the $65.43 fee is “necessary to keep the system going,” adding that the amount was determined after a study.

“If we were to just charge for what people are using, that wouldn’t be sufficient to sustain the water system and to meet the cost from SAWS.”

“Is it still fair to charge that rate even if you don’t use a single drop of water?” asked Ibarra.

“Yes, to keep the system reliable,” responded De Leon.

Elmendorf buys water at a wholesale rate from the San Antonio Water System (SAWS).

De Leon explained that if the city goes over the predetermined amount of water, there is a penalty, but said that has not happened.

The city began to drill its own wells to start its own water system in 2018, but De Leon said there’s no estimate on when Elmendorf will have its own utility.

De Leon said the fees also help support Elmendorf’s growth.

“We have more people moving into this community,” she said. “I think everyone would understand that we need to expand our water system to make sure that everybody has water.”

“That includes people who are using less than 3,000 gallons, paying for more than they use?” asked Ibarra.

“Yes, you’re part of a community,” responded De Leon. “We have to pay for the water system.”

De Leon also said there are no plans for a senior discount on water bills.

As her quiet community blooms, Moreno said she’s fighting for all her neighbors to pay for the water they actually use.

“It’s for everybody, for everyone here in Elmendorf,” said Moreno.

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