In an interview with Augusta, Georgia's CBS-affiliated television station WRDW, utilities professional Steve Little said there are many steps homeowners can take if they receive a water bill that is unusually high.
Many water bills provide consumers with meter readings throughout the billing period, allowing homeowners to see at what points during the cycle their water consumption elevated. If the meter readings appear to be incorrect, Little recommends homeowners ask their water provider to explain the bill or provide more detailed information. A water leak somewhere in the home or throughout the local water system can cause significant amounts of water to be charged without being used. Thus, an elevated water bill can be a warning sign to homeowners to have their pipes checked for leaks, the source reported.
EGP News reported such a water bill was recently received by Ruby Williams, a 78-year-old Pennsylvania resident who was charged $40,000 on a recent bill. Upon further investigation, it was discovered her massive bill was the result of a series of leaks in the pipes under her home. When Williams confronted the water provider about the bill and leaks, the company decreased her bill to the usual couple hundred of dollars.
