TAFT, Tx — At least 130 Taft residents were left without water for several hours on Monday evening, sparking frustration and confusion across the community.
Neighbors turned to social media to confirm the outage, sharing similar experiences of being without water for hours. KRIS 6 reached out to affected residents, with one reporting they were without water for three to four hours. The resident stated they had paid their bill and received no prior notice about the disconnection or its restoration.
KRIS 6 News reached out to Taft City Manager Ryan Smith and every member of the council for an update on these disconnections, but only one responded.
Mayor Pro-Tem and Ward 1 Representative Elida Castillo addressed the issue, citing overdue bills as the reason for the disconnections. However, Castillo acknowledged that some homes experienced water shut-offs due to a billing error. "The error is being corrected and will be addressed by the council at a future date," Castillo informed KRIS 6.
The Public Utilities Commission of Texas mandates that water utilities must provide written notice at least 10 days before disconnecting service. The notice must be mailed or hand-delivered to affected customers.
MORE: PUC complaint process
Water billing issues have been a growing concern among Taft residents. KRIS 6 Investigates has been examining the city's water meters after residents reported unusually high water bills.
During an analysis of Taft City Council meeting agendas and minutes from 2023, 6 Investigates found the City Council allocated just over $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase nearly 1,500 new water meters in June 2023. 6 Investigates found that over a year later, these meters were never purchased or installed.
In April 2024, the city council approved the purchase of 200 water meters at a cost of $73,000.
In November, Smith issued a State of the City report that addressed the concerns regarding the irregularities in bills. "Many people have been consistently underbilled for over a year," Smith explained. "We have also found many water leaks that have been masked by the underbilling." According to Smith, around 70 accounts in the system show ongoing leaks.
The city council is expected to discuss these issues further in an upcoming meeting.
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