Some unpleasant surprises came in the mail this month.

Many citizens have noticed a spike in their water bill payments. Over the month of June, dozens of families complained of abnormally high usage amounts. According to Lauren Rose, assistant to the city manager, 39 households have sought a usage report, high bill complaint or 10-gallon test request.

“Our consumption shows 54,100 gallons of water,” said resident Clellene Charnecki. “Our two children are 10 so we know they have not been in the shower for hours in order to use this ridiculous amount of water. We do have a pool. It holds approximately 20,000 gallons of water. We did not at any point drain it and refill it. We have even been gone a few days on vacation. We have double-checked our faucets, toilets and sprinklers. Our neighbors have hired plumbers to come out and check for leaks. They found none.”

The phenomenon is widespread across the city. With bills of several hundred dollars, people are at a loss to explain how they racked up the debt. Some believe it comes from hidden leaks. Others think the problem lies with the new water meters installed earlier this year. Most, though, do not know what to think.

For the full story see the July 26 issue or subscribe online.

By Morgan Howard • [email protected]