State Rep. Tom Oliverson is pressing the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) to reject Aqua Texas's rate filing and order refunds for customers whose water bills have doubled or tripled since March.

Oliverson, who represents House District 130 in Harris County, including parts of the Spring area, said the costs customers are paying are not justified. He urged the PUC to force the company to return money collected under interim rates that took effect March 9.

"I am urging the Public Utility Commission to reject the proposed rate filing and furthermore to direct Aqua Texas to refund all of the excessive charges," Oliverson told KPRC 2, which first reported the lawmaker's push on Oct. 23.

The controversy centers on interim rates the PUC approved while reviewing Aqua Texas's statewide rate case, filed in June 2025. The company is seeking about $29.1 million in additional annual revenue, according to KHOU. Aqua Texas said the request covers nearly $700 million in infrastructure investments made between 2004 and 2024 and is its first statewide base-rate change in 20 years.

Customers in Cypress, Magnolia and other northwest Harris County communities have reported bills of $500 to $800 a month, KPRC 2 reported. Some have topped $1,000. One Magnolia couple, Steve and Kammie Bowen, told the station their bill roughly doubled from about $266 to $540 for the same amount of water used year over year.

A group of 29 state representatives sent a letter to the PUC on Oct. 2 asking the commission to reject the rate increase, reverse interim rates and require refunds or credits for unjustified charges, KPRC 2 reported Oct. 6. The letter cited a household using 15,000 gallons a month that saw its bill jump from about $206 to $370 on a standard meter.

Two changes are driving the increases. Water rates now use steeper tiers that charge more per 1,000 gallons at higher usage levels. The starting rate is $5.49 per 1,000 gallons for the first 5,000 gallons and climbs to $15.09 per 1,000 gallons above 20,000, according to KHOU. Wastewater charges also shifted from a flat fee to a per-gallon rate based on 100% of metered water use, including water used outdoors for irrigation or pools that never enters the sewer system.

Joe Jimenez of Fair Water Texas, a consumer advocacy group involved in the rate case, told KPRC 2 that Aqua Texas is charging customers for wastewater treatment on water the company does not treat. Fair Water Texas has asked the PUC to send the wastewater billing issue back for further review. No regulatory finding that Aqua Texas improperly charged customers has been established.

Aqua Texas said in a written statement to KPRC 2 that its interim rates reflect infrastructure investments to improve reliability, water quality and service. The company said the rates are subject to refund once the PUC issues a final order.

The rate case is pending under Docket No. 58124, and no hearing date has been scheduled. Oliverson said he wants the Legislature to separate one-time infrastructure costs from ongoing base rates and to bar utilities from charging interim rates before regulators issue a final ruling. He said the issue will be a priority when the Legislature convenes in January.