Texas water meter laws sit in the Texas Water Code, the Texas Penal Code, and rules written by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), and together they give you the right to an accurate meter, itemized bills, advance notice before disconnection, and a formal way to challenge charges you believe are wrong. They also make tampering with a meter a crime. How these rules apply to you depends on whether your provider is an investor-owned utility, a city-run system, or a water supply corporation, because municipal utilities set some of their own policies by ordinance while PUCT-regulated utilities follow the state rules directly.
Who Regulates Your Water Service
Two agencies share oversight. TCEQ handles water quality and infrastructure standards for public water systems.1Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Rules for Public Water Systems The PUCT handles the economic side: rates, billing practices, and consumer complaints.2Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Water Utility Programs Regulated by the PUC Texas Water Code Section 13.041 gives the PUCT authority to regulate and supervise the tariffs and business of water and sewer utilities within its jurisdiction, including the power to hold hearings and enforce rules.3State of Texas. Texas Water Code Chapter 13 – Water Rates and Services Municipal utilities must comply with state law but also operate under their own city ordinances, and PUCT can step in on formal complaints against any regulated utility.
Your Right to an Accurate Meter and a Meter Test
Texas Water Code Section 13.139 requires every retail public utility holding a certificate of convenience and necessity to provide safe, adequate, and efficient service, and it authorizes the regulatory authority to set standards for measuring the water supplied.3State of Texas. Texas Water Code Chapter 13 – Water Rates and Services The industry benchmark, followed by utilities across the state, is that a residential meter should register between 98.5% and 101.5% of actual flow. Meters that drift outside that band should be recalibrated or replaced, and many municipalities schedule evaluations every five to ten years depending on meter type and size.
If you think your meter is wrong, Section 13.140 gives you the right to have it tested. You get one free test after a reasonable period, set by the regulatory authority, has passed since the last test. Ask for a test before that period expires and you pay a fee upfront, but the utility must refund it if the meter turns out to be “unreasonably defective or incorrect to the substantial disadvantage of the consumer.” If the period has already passed, the test is free.3State of Texas. Texas Water Code Chapter 13 – Water Rates and Services Test fees at Texas municipalities commonly run between $50 and $100, but the exact amount depends on your provider.
Billing Rules and the 12-Month Back-Billing Cap
Texas Water Code Section 13.135 prohibits utilities from charging rates or imposing rules not authorized by Chapter 13.3State of Texas. Texas Water Code Chapter 13 – Water Rates and Services PUCT rules fill in the details. A bill’s due date cannot be less than 16 days after issuance. Utilities must disclose rate changes in advance, and many cities require bills to show total consumption, applicable rates, and any service fees or surcharges.
The rule that catches most customers off guard is the back-billing limit. If a utility discovers it has been undercharging you because of a broken meter or a billing system error, it generally cannot reach back more than 12 months to collect the difference. The exception is important: if the undercharge resulted from meter tampering, bypass, or diversion by the customer, the 12-month cap does not apply.4Cornell Law Institute. 16 Texas Administrative Code Section 24.165 – Billing A utility that finds a three-year billing mistake can only collect for the most recent year in most situations. A surprise bill that reaches further than 12 months is worth challenging.
How to Dispute a Water Bill
Texas has a structured complaint process, and skipping steps slows it down. Start with your provider and give them a chance to investigate. If that fails, the path forward depends on who supplies your water.
For PUCT-regulated utilities, file an informal complaint with the PUCT’s Consumer Protection Division. The utility has 15 days to investigate and respond. An investigator reviews the response, decides whether the utility followed the law, and sends both sides a resolution letter. If that does not resolve the dispute, you can file a formal complaint. That process is closer to a legal proceeding, with a judge, hearings, and evidence, and you carry the burden of presenting your case.5Public Utility Commission of Texas. Complaint Process Most billing disputes never get that far, but the option matters when a utility stonewalls.
Municipal water customers follow a different path. Cities handle disputes through their own ordinances, and some offer administrative hearings where you can present independent meter test results or billing records. Whichever process applies, do not stop paying a disputed bill while you wait. Unpaid balances can trigger disconnection even with a complaint pending, unless you have secured a specific hold on your account.
Disconnection Notice and Reconnection Fees
A utility cannot cut off your water without warning in the ordinary case. PUCT rules require written notice, mailed or hand-delivered, stating the reason for disconnection, the date by which you must act (at least 10 days from the notice date), and any reconnection fees.6Texas Public Utility Commission. 16 Texas Administrative Code Section 24.167 – Discontinuance of Service Notices must be provided in English and Spanish when necessary to inform the customer.
A utility can disconnect without prior notice in limited situations:
- A known and dangerous condition related to the water service exists.
- Someone connected service without applying for an account.
- Service was reconnected without permission after a shutoff for nonpayment.
- There is evidence of meter tampering, bypass, or water diversion.6Texas Public Utility Commission. 16 Texas Administrative Code Section 24.167 – Discontinuance of Service
Extreme weather brings added protection. Utilities generally cannot disconnect service when the temperature drops below 32°F, or when a heat advisory is in effect or was in effect within the previous two days.7The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. Disconnect Policies Municipal utilities and rural cooperatives are not always bound by these PUCT rules, so check locally.
Reconnection fees for PUCT-regulated utilities are capped. If your service was cut for nonpayment and you pay the delinquent charges and request restoration within 45 days, the reconnection fee cannot exceed $25.6Texas Public Utility Commission. 16 Texas Administrative Code Section 24.167 – Discontinuance of Service Municipal utilities set their own reconnection fees by ordinance, and those can be higher. The $25 cap also does not apply when the disconnection resulted from tampering or bypass.
Renters, Submeters, and Allocated Water Charges
If you rent, your bill may not come from a utility at all. Texas Water Code Section 13.502 allows apartment owners, manufactured home community owners, and condominium managers to submeter individual units. For apartment buildings where construction began after January 1, 2003, owners must either install submeters or arrange for individual utility-owned meters for each unit.3State of Texas. Texas Water Code Chapter 13 – Water Rates and Services The PUCT writes the rules that govern how landlords bill tenants for submetered or allocated service under Chapter 13, Subchapter M.8Public Utility Commission of Texas. Water and Sewer Submetering or Allocation
Where individual metering is not feasible, some landlords use allocation formulas, sometimes called Ratio Utility Billing Systems (RUBS), that split total building water costs among tenants by unit size or occupancy. Disputes over allocated charges usually run through landlord-tenant law rather than utility consumer protections. If your allocated charges look wrong, check the lease and contact the PUCT or a tenant advocacy group.
Penalties for Meter Tampering
Tampering with a water meter is a crime in Texas. Under Penal Code Section 28.03, intentionally damaging, tampering with, or diverting a public water supply is criminal mischief. The statute treats water supply interference more seriously than ordinary property damage: impairing or interrupting any public water supply, or diverting water by any means including installing or removing a device, is at minimum a Class A misdemeanor regardless of the dollar amount. That carries up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000, even for a first offense with minimal financial loss.9State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Section 28.03 – Criminal Mischief
When the loss is higher, penalties climb through the standard criminal mischief tiers:
- Class C misdemeanor: loss under $100 (fine only, up to $500).
- Class B misdemeanor: loss of $100 to $749 (up to 180 days in jail).
- Class A misdemeanor: loss of $750 to $2,499, or any impairment of a public water supply.
- State jail felony: loss of $2,500 to $29,999 (180 days to 2 years in a state jail facility).
- Higher felony degrees: losses above $30,000 carry increasingly severe penalties up to first-degree felony charges.9State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Section 28.03 – Criminal Mischief
Criminal charges are only part of the exposure. When tampering is detected, PUCT rules allow disconnection without notice.6Texas Public Utility Commission. 16 Texas Administrative Code Section 24.167 – Discontinuance of Service Utilities can back-bill for estimated unauthorized usage without the normal 12-month cap, and reconnection fees in tampering cases are not held to the $25 limit. Some municipal codes add fines or require security deposits before service is restored for repeat offenders.