Christina Mann, a retired senior in Point Blank, Texas, disconnected her water service last November after fees consumed nearly all her Social Security income. Her monthly bills from Texas Water Utilities reached $169 for just 2,000 gallons of actual water usage, with base charges totaling $150.18 in July alone. Mann now hauls five-gallon jugs from a friend's house every other day to meet basic needs.

Mann's situation exposes how investor-owned utilities charge substantially more than public systems, with fixed fees making up 94% of her bill. A Houston resident using the same amount pays $57 total. The EPA reports water rate structures have grown more regressive, collecting less through volumetric charges and more through flat fees that hit low-usage customers hardest. Meanwhile, the federal LIHWAP assistance program expired in March 2024 with no replacement.

Texas Water Utilities, serving 60,000 customers across 32 counties, has filed for a $34 monthly "system improvement charge" to recoup $80 million in infrastructure spending. The company defends its rates as fully approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Mann has returned to work to afford basic necessities, still choosing between water and groceries. Consumer advocates warn that industry consolidation, including a $40 billion merger between American Water Works and Essential Utilities, threatens to create anti-consumer monopolies that will drive rates even higher.