How can I contest a suspicious water usage bill in Houston?

To check for a leak, compare the current water meter reading to the previous month's reading. If the difference is normal, you may have a case. However, if the difference is unusual, you'll need to apply for a leak investigation. Once the investigation is complete, you may be eligible for a discount.

It's extremely difficult to cause a leak of this magnitude. You would essentially need to sever the main water line and leave it unattended. Even then, it would require extremely high water pressure. For example, if five faucets were open simultaneously, each flowing at 2 gallons per minute, the total flow rate would be 10 gallons per minute. Over the course of a day, this would result in 14,400 gallons of water.

If I received a water bill with such an obviously incorrect amount and the water department refused to correct the error, I would definitely contact a local consumer advocacy group to report the issue.