An investigation into high water usage in Buda has sparked debate and even outrage among residents in one Buda subdivision who claim they also are receiving astronomical water bills.
But some of the residents in Cullen Country claim they haven’t increased their usage by that much.
On Sept. 20, the Hays Free Press reported Cullen Country as the neighborhood that used the most water in 11 out of the last 12 months.
Cullen Country Home Owners Association President Walter King said the the topic of water usage was a priority topic during an HOA meeting Sept.26.
“We are a very small neighborhood there’s no way we should be topping those larger neighborhoods,” King said.
King said the neighborhood only hosts 205 homes and that homeowners have been reporting no substantial increase in water usage, especially during the month of July.
According to numbers provided by Buda city staff, homes in Cullen Country used an average of 17,854 gallons in July.
King said about a year ago, the Cullen Country HOA noticed an increase in their water bill for the public green spaces they maintain.
After some investigation, the HOA found a damaged water main that needed repair, for which the city reimbursed them.
King said the subdivision doesn’t have any agreements with Buda for a requirement of green landscapes; the HOA itself also doesn’t have any covenants requiring green landscapes.
“We do not have a policy or anything in our covenants to keep a certain amount of area green,” King said.
King said the HOA would discuss approaching the City of Buda as a collective regarding the unusual spike in water meter readings in Cullen Country. However, he doesn’t attribute the entire increase to leaks in watering systems.
“To have that many people sporadically have leaks is unheard of,” King said.
