A Brownsville man said he is feeling helpless over a lack of support from the Brownsville Public Utilities Board.

Lorenzo Rangel said his water bill has ranged from $150 to $250, so it was a surprise for him when his October bill came at just over $500, Rangel said.

“That's half of our rent,” Rangel said. “It's just not fair, [my roommate and I] cannot really afford that bill that they're trying to say that we wasted."

Rangel says Brownsville PUB said he and his roommate used 50,000 gallons of water in the month of October, and that there was a leak in the home.

“The supervisor told me that any water leak would go straight into the ground, and I wouldn't know because 'we're in a drought',” Rangel recalled.

Brownsville PUB sent someone to check out the water meter shortly after he saw that his bill more than doubled, but Rangel said he was still left with more questions.

Rangel has been working to get this issue resolved since he got his bill last week. He and Brownsville PUB discussed a payment plan but, but even that was too much.

"I'm just gonna have to bite the bullet,” Rangel said. “I'm gonna have to tell my landlord I might be short on my rent for a month or two."

A spokesperson for Brownsville PUB said they are looking into the issue and will follow up with Channel 5 News once more details are available.

Watch the video above for the full story.