Many western Travis County residents have recently reported higher water bills on social media websites, including NextDoor.

Madeleine Connor, Lost Creek Neighborhood Association president, said she estimates from NextDoor posts that more than 200 people have had higher water bills since Austin Water Utility annexed the area’s water supply in May.

“People have gotten bills with impossible usage,” she said. “Their [water usage since May] went from 12,000 gallons to 50,000 gallons per month. They were conserving, or not using irrigation, or out of town, or live alone.”

Austin Water Utility spokesperson Jason Hill said the agency’s water system pumped 62 percent more water for Austin residents during July and August than during those same months in previous years—largely contributing to the increased water bills.

“Mother Nature gave us a bait and switch,” Hill said. “We had a lot of rain in May and June. Then we had a dry spell for 40-plus days during a time when irrigation usage is at its highest.”

Connor said she began to have water pressure problems after AWU took over Lost Creek’s water as part of its plan to fully annex the neighborhood at the end of this year. She said she discovered a water leak beneath her home’s foundation following the utility agency changeover. She said a plumber investigated the leak and told her that it might have been caused by a sudden increase in water pressure.

Connor said not all of the higher bills being reported are caused by leaks, and she did not see a noticeable increase in her bill after the leak. She said she believes the water bills reflecting a higher water usage may be caused by other problems with the water meters or water pressure.

Hill said AWU investigates complaints and potential leak reports within a week, although it may take longer to find the root of the problem.

“Just like a doctor, if you go in with a headache they won’t be able to diagnose it immediately,” Hill said. “They’ll do a process of elimination. For us, first we’ll start with water usage, then with errors in the system. At the end of the day, we want our customers to be ...confident in us as a utility to own up to a mistake if there is one.”