NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2025
AUSTIN, TX — Fair Water Texas is calling on more than 76,000 water and 25,300 wastewater users across Texas to file an official protest to Aqua Texas’s proposed rate hikes in Public Utility Commission (PUC) Case 58124. The company seeks to consolidate 440 systems into a single statewide rate structure—raising monthly base wastewater rates by up to 108.9% in some communities, and spiking volumetric water rates in others. (Download a form here to protest or intervene. See complete list of counties, and regional systems below)
The proposal has drawn criticism from residents and elected officials alike. In a formal letter to the PUC, State Senator Donna Campbell (District 25) expressed strong opposition to the rate hike, citing its timing in the wake of recent flooding that devastated parts of her district. “The response to the floods that destroyed homes and took precious lives should be compassionate and generous,” she wrote. “The timing of the proposed rate increase… is shocking.”
Fair Water Texas founder Joe Gimenez emphasized that Aqua’s proposed rate hikes come at a time when Texans are already working hard to manage household costs. “People are taking proactive steps to lower their property tax burdens, renegotiating insurance, and cutting back on discretionary spending,” Gimenez said. “Aqua Texas’ dramatic increase to an essential necessity is one more burden to Texans and their request should be closely examined in view of reports from communities already facing service failures and infrastructure neglect. Water is essential but so is fairness.”
For example, in neighborhoods like Mallard Pointe, near Granbury, residents have faced years of water restrictions due to poor infrastructure. With only two barely functioning wells serving over 170 connections, the system fails to meet minimum capacity standards. Residents have been told to remove landscaping, avoid filling their pools, and limit water use to indoor use only. Promises of a new well—budgeted and announced for early 2024—remain unfulfilled. Not even a permit application has been filed as of late 2025.
As the 58124 rate case unfolds, Fair Water Texas will demand clarity on Aqua’s infrastructure priorities, consumption patterns, and billing practices. Its questions will probe how Aqua intends to prioritize improvements under a unified rate model and whether customers will receive system-specific improvements. The answers to these questions will reveal whether Aqua’s rate hike is backed by meaningful investment—or simply a revenue grab disguised as reform.
“We’re not just talking about higher bills,” Gimenez said. “We’re talking about communities with broken promises. Fair Water Texas, intervenors and protesters are demanding a regulatory system that holds Aqua Texas accountable to safe and adequate standards for water supply.”
What You Can Do Right Now – File Protest OR Intervene in the Rate Case
- First, if you are not sure if Aqua Texas is your provider, use the Texas Water Development Board site https://www3.twdb.texas.gov/apps/waterserviceboundaries to check your address.
- File as Intervenor or Protestor in the Public Commission’s Interchange
Visit the PUC Interchange Filing System at www.interchange.puc.texas.gov
Register to create an account or log in if you have already established an account
Enter 58124 in the box for “Control Number or Project Number”
Fill in your name, address, Aqua Texas system name (if known), and reason for protesting in the next page
Filing as an Intervenor makes a person a legal party to the case, wherein they can initiate discovery, participate in hearings and settlement discussions.
- Join Fair Water Texas
Stay in touch with everything that happens in Aqua Texas. As a protester, you are not a party to the case but your comments will be considered by the Commission and may trigger whether a hearing is triggered. Fair Water Texas will help every step of the way with Zoom meetings, event briefings, and outreach campaigns, especially to support interveners and protest filers
Visit FairWaterTexas.org to get on our its update list or send an email to info@fairwatertexas.org
About Fair Water Texas
Fair Water Texas is a citizen-led initiative dedicated to empowering ratepayers through data transparency, legal advocacy, and strategic communications. Founded by veteran public affairs advisor Joe Gimenez, the group brings together technical experts, grassroots organizers, and legal professionals to challenge unfair utility practices and promote right-sized water rates.
Aqua Texas Service Footprint in Rate Case Filing
Based on Aqua Texas’s application filing, here’s a summary of the systems and counties they referenced:
Aqua Texas operates:
- 377 water systems and 66 sewer systems
- Across 56 counties in Texas
- Under water CCNs: 13201, 13203, 13254
- And sewer CCNs: 21059, 21065, 21116
Regional Breakdown
North Texas Region
Divisional offices: Fort Worth, Granbury, Waco, Lake Palestine
Counties served:
- Anderson, Bosque, Camp, Cherokee, Cooke, Denton, Erath, Grayson, Gregg, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Marion, McLennan, Parker, Rockwall, Smith, Somervell, Tarrant, Taylor, Wise, Wood
Southeast Region
Divisional office: Spring, TX
Counties served:
- Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Wharton
Southwest Region
Divisional offices: Kerrville, Wimberley, West Austin
Counties served:
- Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Live Oak, Llano, Medina, Nueces, Travis, Williamson, Wilson, Victoria
Municipal Jurisdictions with Original Rate Authority
Aqua Texas also serves within the boundaries of cities that have original jurisdiction over rates, including:
- Alvin, Austin, Beach City, Boerne, Brownsboro, Cedar Park, Chandler, Conroe, Cove, Cut N Shoot, Dayton, Elmendorf, Granbury, Granite Shoals, Houston, Ingram, Kerrville, Kyle, Lakewood Village, Little Elm, Manor, New Fairview, Old River Win-Free, Pearland, Port Arthur, Rhome, Shady Shores, Stagecoach, Stockton Bend, Weston Lakes, Wimberley, Woodcreek