One South Street resident saw a big leap in November. (See comment below)
By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net
Some homeowners across north Mecklenburg have been surprised by unexpectedly high water bills in recent months, and they’re looking for answers. A group of Cornelius property owners has invited representatives of Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities to a public meeting Wednesday in Cornelius in hopes of getting an explanation.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Cornelius Town Hall, and is expected to include Steve Miller, customer service manager for Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities, Karen Bentley, the county commissioner for District 1, which includes north Mecklenburg, and Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte.
The homeowners association from The Peninsula in Cornelius has organized the meeting, but complaints about high water bills have been heard across north Mecklenburg, including in Davidson.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities says some billing cases may be related to summer increases in usage, or higher usage compared to 2008, when the region was in the midst of mandatory water restrictions because of the drought. The utility also has a tiered fee system that charges higher rates for higher usage.
BIG BILLS
Mary Kim Folds, who lives in the Cabin Woods neighborhood, off Pine Road, said her family’s water bills have been averaging $35 to $65 per month this year. But her October bill was $325 and the the November total was $135. Her neighbor, Debbie Barteldt, reports a similar experience.
Ms. Folds said she contacted the utilities department, which sent a technician to check out her meter. He found no problems, and she has not gotten a satisfactory answer about her bill.
“Our water usage has not changed at all, nor do we have a leak,” Ms. Folds told DavidsonNews.net.
The utilities department has been deluged with similar reports of high water bills lately. That has led some homeowners to wonder if there are problems with water meters or if the utility is overcharging them.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities spokesman Cam Coley said Friday there’s no single reason why some homeowners may be seeing higher bills. “Part of it is this is a seasonal thing. We see an increase in water bill questions at this time of year,” he said.
He recommended that homeowners check the 13-month usage statistics on their bills to see if their usage has gone up.
He also said some homeowners may be experiencing the results of a return to normal water usage following the drought of recent years. “Last summer and fall, we were under mandatory water restrictions,” he noted. “Water usage was down. Now it’s back up.”
He also said leaks could be a source of some problems. (He would not discuss cases of specific homeowners.)
Some homeowners have focused on water meters as a possible source of the problem. In recent years, Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities has installed new and more accurate radio-linked meters for all its 242,631 residential and commercial customers, Mr. Coley said. Field technicians can check meters for problems.
“We do have a high-bill investigation team to make sure the meter is reading correctly,” Mr. Coley said.
“If it’s something on our side, we definitely want the meter replaced,” Mr. Coley said. While it’s possible that meters are an issue, he told DavidsonNews.net that the utility has not had to replace any of the meters because of malfunctions. One meter needed a new radio antenna, he said.
WANT TO GO?
Wednesday’s meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Cornelius Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Ave., downtown Cornelius.
More information about Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities at www.cmutilities.com.
If you have a question about your water bill, you may call the customer service telephone line at 311, or 704-336-7600.
Using less water, paying more?
My usual bill is under $80; an $80 bill meant we watered more than usual in a given month.
In October, I paid a $105 bill; in November, the bill jumped to $250 (38 CCFs). When I called Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities, they said the meter had already been read again, and showed a usage of 60 CCFs, which we figure will make our next bill $350 or more (they charge more, the more you use).
We have not increased our usage. If anything, we’ve used LESS water during the past 2 months since it has been raining. Plus, even when all taps, washing machine, etc, turned off (and no toilets running), we can see the meter spinning.
At first CMU said it would be 45 days before anyone could get out here, but after repeated calling and trying different extensions, they did send someone out Monday night. First he said he could guarantee there was no leak at the meter or anywhere on the side the utility is responsible for. I asked how he could be sure, and he said because moisture would show up on the ground.
I said then there’s no leak on our side either, because there’s no evidence of wetness under the house or on the ground from the meter to the house. He said he couldn’t help me with that, but he knows the leak isn’t on the utility’s side.
Then he pointed to a tree at the corner of my yard that may be a problem. It turns out, it covers the first three feet from the meter toward my house, which is CMU responsibility. He said we can’t even tell what’s going on because that tree is there.
So, after my questions, he admitted there COULD be a leak on the town side, hidden under our tree.
There isn’t. We scratched around and found the ground getting drier the deeper we dug.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities says if the leak is on our side, they’ll adjust our bill and pay half of the excess usage for two consecutive months. But if it takes 45 days for them to do the high bill investigation, then already three billings will have taken place.
If the plumber comes out and we can prove there’s no leak on our side, what then???
Theresa Woody
South Street