AQUA TEXAS's Response to Public Utility Commission Staff's First Request for Information Raises Questions on Line Loss Calculations and Regional Management

AQUA TEXAS's recent response to the Public Utility Commission of Texas has raised concerns about the accuracy of line loss calculations and the management of the regional water system. According to the document, AQUA TEXAS attributes line loss inaccuracies to interconnections between systems and metering issues, but fails to provide concrete evidence of the extent of the problem. The company's admission that it does not know whether it is losing water or overcharging its clients has sparked questions about its ability to manage the Regional Pass-Through Gallonage Charge.

Key Takeaways:

• AQUA TEXAS attributes line loss inaccuracies to interconnections between systems and metering issues, but fails to provide concrete evidence of the extent of the problem.
• The company admits that it does not know whether it is losing water or overcharging its clients, raising concerns about its ability to manage the Regional Pass-Through Gallonage Charge.
• AQUA TEXAS has failed to provide detailed information on the number of systems affected by metering issues and interconnections.
• The company recommends summarizing line loss by operational division, which critics argue is an attempt to hide the water loss problem and transfer the cost to clients.
• At least 55 systems in the SE Group have losses above 15%, with some systems experiencing losses as high as 97.095% and 87.679%.
• AQUA TEXAS has not provided detailed information on the revenue, production, and consumption of individual systems, making it difficult to assess the reliability and redundancy of supply.
• The company's failure to control and meter interconnections has resulted in a lack of transparency and accountability in the management of the regional water system.

Statistics:

• 141 systems conform the Southeast Region (SE plus SE-TXAM Prime).
• At least 55 systems in the SE Group have losses above 15%.
• Some systems have experienced losses as high as 97.095% and 87.679%.
• INDIGO RANCH System PWS # 1700651 has a water Loss of 0.33% generating a Revenue of $108,185.86 with just a Production of 20,945,400 gal.
• BLACK OAK WATER System PWS # 1700851 has a water Loss of 10.656%.

Sources:

• Questions to AQUA TEXAS Response to Commission Staff's First Request for Information - Staff RFI No. 1-1 (Public Utility Commission of Texas, 2025).
• Letter sent by AQUA TEXAS to the PUC (AQUA TEXAS, February 3, 2016).
• AVWVA in its M36-Water-Audits-and-Loss-Control-Programs (AVWVA, 2025).