What would you do if you got a $2,000 water bill? A 77-year-old woman on the northeast side says she couldn’t believe her eyes when she opened the mail from San Antonio Water Supply.
Martha Aviles says her bill is normally under $100, but due to a water leak her bill has skyrocketed.
“I almost had a heart attack,” Aviles said. “I started having chest pains. I couldn’t sleep at night because there is no way I can pay a bill like this. Especially if this is not my fault. They said it was a piece missing from the water meter. It was broken.”
Aviles says she reported the water leak outside her home to SAWS on multiple occasions, but the reports lead nowhere.
“Instead of fixing, they didn’t fix nothing,” Aviles said. “They came and put the new meter and made another leak on this side.”
Aviles says her front yard looked like a lake.
“I’m on a fixed income and barely making it,” Aviles said. “Why would I pay for something I didn’t damage?’
San Antonio Water Supply gave the following statement:
In providing secure water service to San Antonio, SAWS depends on customers to maintain pipes on their side of the meter. During much of 2025, Ms. Aviles continued to contact SAWS about a leak that was actually her responsibility as the leak was located between the meter and her home. SAWS representatives marked the leak location and provided a door tag indicating the leak was on the customer’s side, but the low-level leak continued. After a new digital meter water was installed in May, and the leak was not yet repaired, the water use increased in June and again in July. A SAWS representative ultimately repaired the leak in the spirit of good water stewardship. While Ms. Aviles should be responsible for at least a portion of the bill for this extended leak, we are prepared to continue to work with Ms. Aviles on costs and work out a payment plan. Staff has reached out to Ms. Aviles, and we hope to reach an agreement soon.