Fair Water Texas seeks to represent TEXANS who are facing poor water quality, unreliable service, and rising bills without meaningful accountability. This includes homeowners, families, retirees, and small businesses who depend on safe, reliable, and affordable water service.
We participate directly in the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) process to protect customers and ensure their experiences are part of the official record.
How the PUC Process Works — and Why It Matters
When a water utility like Aqua Texas or Texas Water Utilities files for a rate increase, the case is assigned a docket number and reviewed by the PUCT and the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH). The process includes:
- Discovery — where parties request documents, data, and explanations from the utility
- Testimony — where customers, experts, and organizations present evidence
- Cross‑examination — where witnesses are questioned under oath
- Briefing — where parties explain the legal and factual reasons for their positions
- Commission decision — where the PUCT ultimately approves, modifies, or rejects the rate request
This process determines what customers will pay for years. It also determines whether the utility is held accountable for service failures, water quality issues, and system neglect.
Most customers never know this process exists. Utilities count on the ignorance of customers to glide through these processes without much pushback.
What Fair Water Texas Is Doing in This Case
Fair Water Texas is an intervenor, which means we have legal standing to participate fully in the case. Our work includes:
- Coordinating customer testimony so individual experiences become part of the official record
- Submitting discovery requests to force utilities to answer for service failures
- Analyzing utility filings and financial claims
- Documenting water quality problems, outages, and property damage
- Challenging unsupported or misleading statements in the utility’s testimony
- Ensuring the Commission hears directly from affected communities
- Advocating for fair, reasonable rates that reflect actual service quality
Our goal is simple:
Make sure water utility customers are not forced to pay more for service that has already failed them.
Why Customer Participation Matters
The PUC process is evidence‑driven. When customers speak up:
- Their experiences become part of the legal record
- Their damages and costs must be acknowledged
- Their testimony can influence the Commission’s final decision
- Their stories counterbalance the utility’s lawyers, consultants, and financial experts
Fair Water Texas helps customers navigate this process so their voices carry weight.
Our Commitment
We are a volunteer‑driven, community‑focused organization. Our only mission is to ensure that Texans receive the safe, reliable, and affordable water service they are entitled to under state law.
