A Brownsville family is facing a $1,200 water bill after a sudden spike in usage they say they can't explain.

The homeowner says she checked for leaks and even had a plumber inspect her home, but no leak was found.

"A bit upset because it's a lot of water that I didn't use," Ana De La Cruz said.

For De La Cruz, this isn't just an unexpected bill; it's a bill she says her family cannot afford.

"We're not able to afford something like this and especially if we didn't use this much water and if we didn't have anything going on like, any leaks or anything like that," De La Cruz said.

De La Cruz says her water bill at her rental home is usually a little over $300 a month; her latest bill is $1,200.

Between July 27 and August 18, her bill showed about 57,000 gallons of water were used.

"It was like filling up a whole swimming pool like an underground pool every other day," De La Cruz said.

The Brownsville Public Utilities Board alerted her to the high usage on Aug. 14, before she even received the bill.

BPUB checked her meter and said nothing was wrong.

De La Cruz also called the property management company, which sent a plumber to her home.

"He didn't find anything. He checked the meter, he checked inside the house, and he said there was no issue," De La Cruz said.

She says the plumber even provided a letter stating no leak was found.

De La Cruz brought the document to BPUB earlier this week. She said BPUB told her she would need to show that a leak had been repaired, something she says she couldn't do because the plumber was never able to find one.

"They told me that they couldn't do anything, but they can do payment plans. But I'm like, I didn't use that water and there's no leak," De La Cruz said.

Channel 5 News reached out to BPUB. They couldn't discuss private customers' information but said in a statement that a team is working directly with De La Cruz.

They said payment arrangements are available and customers may qualify for a bill adjustment if a leak is found and repaired.

BPUB also said its team can review usage data from the meter system, test the meter when needed and review billing and consumption history.

But just how could a home use that much water?

Channel 5 News spoke with a professional plumber who has been in the business for 12 years.

"It's surprising, it's not common," Arcapaxi Construction Plumber Arnulfo Muñoz said.

Muñoz said homeowners should check their plumbing once a year.

"Replace the toilet floats, the flappers, which are what control the flow of water, the toilet flush valves, all of that, and the faucet washers, because sometimes the shower or sink faucets start leaking," Muñoz said.

He also says mold on walls could be a warning sign that there is a leak.

For De La Cruz, the search for answers isn't over. She just hopes this doesn't happen again.

"Now with this, it's like we can't really afford that," De La Cruz said.

Watch the video above for the full story.