Del Rio Reverts Billing After Spike In October Water Bills
Del Rio city leaders agreed to temporarily revert water and sewer billing to practices in place before October after residents received unexpectedly high bills under a new rate structure, citing an implementation mistake. The move aims to protect customers while the city calculates per account corrections and credits, a process officials said would take several weeks and affects roughly 15,000 accounts.
On November 17, 2025 Del Rio city leaders moved to roll back recent billing changes after a wave of public complaints about unusually large October water and sewer bills. The City Council acknowledged the new rate structure was implemented in a way that removed the winter averaging adjustment that normally moderates sewer charges for residents, and that the adjustment was intended to remain in effect. Council members described the problem as an implementation mistake that required corrective action.
City officials said they would temporarily resume billing practices used before October while staff calculate corrections and determine appropriate account credits or refunds. Council discussion focused on the logistics of issuing partial refunds or account credits, with staff explaining that credits must be computed individually and that the scale of the task presents an operational burden. The city estimated it would take 30 to 40 days to begin issuing credits to affected accounts, and noted the work involves roughly 15,000 individual account adjustments.
To limit immediate harm to customers, the council said residents would not face disconnection for inability to pay the most recent month s bill when the shortfall was caused by this billing error. The city clarified that longstanding past due accounts remain subject to normal enforcement and collection processes. Officials described the refunds as necessary because the error affected customers broadly, and emphasized that the correction must be accurate and traceable at the account level.
The incident has local policy implications for utility administration and for public trust in municipal services. The scale of retroactive billing adjustments highlights the need for stronger implementation safeguards, clearer public communication when rate structures change, and reliable quality control in utility billing systems. For households on fixed incomes the surprise bills created immediate financial strain, and residents are likely to watch city follow through on timelines and the accuracy of credits.
Del Rio customers are advised to review their bills and contact the city utility office for account specific questions. City officials said they would provide updates as the correction process progresses.
