How to Get a Water Bill Leak Adjustment in Texas

Finding out you have a slab leak is stressful enough. Then the water bill arrives, sometimes two or three times higher than normal. The good news is that many Texas cities and utility districts offer a leak adjustment, a credit for part of the water lost to a hidden leak. The catch is that each utility has its own rules, and missing a deadline or a document can mean missing the credit. This guide explains how leak adjustments usually work in Texas and how to give yourself the best chance of getting one.

What a leak adjustment is

A leak adjustment, sometimes called a leak credit or billing adjustment, is a reduction in your water or sewer bill to account for water that was lost to a leak you could not reasonably have seen. Utilities offer them because hidden leaks, like those under a slab or in a buried yard line, can run for weeks before a customer knows anything is wrong.

Adjustments are a policy, not a right. Each city, municipal utility district (MUD), water supply corporation or special utility district decides whether to offer them and on what terms.

Who offers them in Texas

Many Texas cities have written leak adjustment policies. So do many MUDs, which serve large parts of the suburbs around Houston, Austin and Dallas–Fort Worth. Rural water supply corporations may offer them too. Policies differ widely in:

• Which leaks qualify.
• How much of the excess is credited.
• Whether water, sewer or both are adjusted.
• How many adjustments are allowed per year.
• How quickly you must apply.

The only way to know your utility's rules is to check its website or call its billing office.

Leaks that usually qualify

Most policies cover leaks that were hidden and not caused by negligence, such as:

• Leaks under a slab foundation.
• Leaks in a buried service line between the meter and the house.
• Leaks inside walls that were not visible.
• Sudden breaks, such as freeze damage, depending on the policy.

Leaks that often do not qualify

Policies commonly exclude:

• Running toilets, dripping faucets and other visible fixture leaks.
• Irrigation system leaks, in many policies, though some allow them.
• Pool and spa fills.
• Leaks that were not repaired promptly after the customer knew about them.
• Water used intentionally, such as filling a pool or watering new landscaping.

If your leak was under the slab, you are usually in the category most likely to qualify.

What proof they usually ask for

Expect to provide some combination of:

• A paid invoice from a licensed plumber showing the repair and the date.
• A description of where the leak was, such as under the slab in a hot-water line.
• A detection report, if you had one, showing how and where the leak was found.
• Photos of the leak or repair.
• The account number and the bills affected.
• A signed request form, if the utility uses one.

A professional detection report is especially useful because it documents that the leak was hidden under the slab. Our slab leak detection overview explains what a typical report includes.

Deadlines matter

Many policies require you to request the adjustment within a fixed number of days, often counted from the repair date or the date of the bill. Some Texas utilities use windows such as 20, 30 or 60 days. If you miss the deadline, the request may be denied even if the leak clearly qualifies.

To stay safe:

1. Call the utility as soon as you suspect a leak. Ask about the policy and deadline before you even schedule detection.
2. Write down who you spoke with and when.
3. Repair the leak promptly. Many policies require repair within a set time of discovery.
4. Submit the request right after the repair, with all documents.

How the credit is calculated

Utilities use different formulas, but a common approach is:

1. Find your normal usage, often an average of the same months in prior years or of recent months before the leak.
2. Subtract normal usage from the leak-period usage to get the excess.
3. Credit a portion of the excess, sometimes at a lower rate, sometimes only the higher-tier portion, sometimes only for sewer.

Some utilities cap the credit at a dollar amount or a number of billing cycles. Others adjust sewer charges only, on the reasoning that leaked water did not go into the sewer system. Ask how your utility calculates it so you know what to expect.

Sewer and winter averaging

In many Texas cities, residential sewer charges are based on winter water use, an average of usage during certain winter months. If a leak ran during those months, it can raise your sewer charges for the next year. Ask whether your utility will recalculate the winter average after a documented leak. Some will; some will not. It is worth asking.

MUDs and suburban utilities

If you live in a master-planned community around Houston, Austin or DFW, there is a good chance your water comes from a MUD rather than a city. MUDs are run by elected boards and often have their own leak policies, request forms and deadlines. Your bill will show the district's name. Our guide to MUD leak credits covers them in more depth.

Step-by-step: requesting an adjustment

1. Confirm the leak with a meter test.
2. Call the utility to ask about the policy, deadline and required documents.
3. Have the leak located, ideally with a written detection report.
4. Have it repaired by a licensed plumber and get an itemized invoice.
5. Do a meter test again to confirm the leak is fixed.
6. Submit the request with the invoice, report, photos and any form required.
7. Follow up if you do not hear back within the time the utility gave.
8. Keep copies of everything.

A sample request letter

Some utilities have a form. Others accept a short letter or email. If you need to write one, keep it simple and factual. For example: "I am requesting a leak adjustment for account number [number] at [address]. On [date], I noticed a higher than normal bill and confirmed a leak with a meter test. On [date], a licensed plumber located the leak under the slab foundation on a hot-water line, and it was repaired on [date]. The attached detection report and invoice document the leak and the repair. A follow-up meter test on [date] showed no further leak. I am requesting an adjustment for the billing periods of [months]. Please let me know if you need anything else." Attach the documents, keep a copy, and note the date you sent it. A clear, complete request is easier for billing staff to approve quickly.

If your request is denied

Ask for the reason in writing. Common reasons include a missed deadline, a leak type the policy excludes, or missing documents. If the issue is documentation, ask whether you can resubmit. If you believe the policy was misapplied, ask about an appeal or review process. Some city policies allow appeals to a utility director or council committee.

Other ways to soften the bill

Even if an adjustment is not available or does not cover everything:

• Ask about a payment plan to spread a large bill over several months.
• Check whether a high-usage alert is available so you catch future leaks faster.
• Keep your detection report in case your homeowners insurance covers related damage. Insurance usually does not cover the water bill itself, but it may cover damage from the leak.

Prevention helps next time

Many utilities allow only one leak adjustment per year or per address. That makes catching leaks early even more valuable. Check your usage monthly, use your utility's online portal if it shows daily use, and do a meter test a few times a year.

Rules differ by provider: Cedar Park has a written slab-leak credit, while homes in Allen and MUD-billed neighborhoods in Missouri City each follow their own utility's policy.

The bottom line

A water bill leak adjustment can recover part of the cost of a slab leak, but only if you follow your utility's rules. Call early, ask about deadlines and documents, repair promptly, and submit a complete request with a plumber's invoice and, ideally, a detection report showing the leak was hidden under the slab. If you need the leak found first, find your city to book a licensed Texas plumber, and see our slab leak FAQs for more answers.