Nov 7, 2024
They say you can’t fight city hall, but an Atlanta woman is doing just that over a series of water bills that went from around $13 per month to the utility provider claiming she owed more than $81,000 for their services.
Gail Mapp says her issues began after she inherited a dilapidated ceramics shop in the city. The water bill for the unused building was initially $13.12 per month. The city’s Department of Watershed Management installed a new meter register — the device that records water usage — in December 2022. Her next bill hit like a splash of cold water.
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“I saw $16,000,” Mapp told Fox 5 Atlanta of the January 2023 charges. The following month, her bill climbed to $17,478, and in March 2023 it was $17,609. In April 2023, she was billed $20,231.
After several months, the utility claimed she owed $81,083 in water bills.
Here’s what happened.
'No working plumbing'
Upon receiving the fourth outrageous water bill, Mapp hired the first of three plumbers to inspect the building.
“They said there is no water, no working plumbing in the building,” she explained. “There is no water coming from the meter to the building.”
That same month, April 2023, the city sent a technician to the site. According to Fox 5, his notes showed there was "no leak found" on the city's side of the meter.
Mapp requested an adjustment to her bill, but was denied at first. She took her claim to an appeals hearing this past March, where a city representative suggested, even with no plumbing, there might still be a leak within the property. But Mapp insists there’s no leak — certainly not one that would use up nearly 700,000 gallons of water in a single month — based on the evidence shown to her by plumbers.
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The water meter was replaced for a second time, and by September 2023, Mapp says her bill went back down to $13.12. As for the outstanding balance, the city would eventually credit $5,000 to the account, according to Fox 5, leaving Mapp responsible for around $76,000. She has taken the city to court over the remaining balance, and is waiting for the judges decision, per the local broadcaster.
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What property owners can do
According to Fox 5, Mapp’s building wasn’t the only one having water issues in the area. The newsroom says city records show other nearby properties that experienced “unusually high water usage.” When utility bills climb, property owners need to take action to fix the problem before it results in a massive debt to the utility.
A common reason water bills increase are due to leaks in the plumbing. Continually running toilets or leaky faucets can increase water usage, driving up bills. Leaks in unexpected places, such as foundations, can not only cause your bill to go up but potentially result in expensive structural damage. If you notice anything unusual, it may be wise to call a plumber to determine if there are any unseen problems.
If you believe there has been a billing error, contact the utility provider to see if it can be resolved — the earlier, the better. You may want to keep a record of who you speak to and when, and be prepared to provide details on why you believe the error is on their end.
If that doesn’t work, there may be additional options available depending on where you live. In some states, the next step would be to appeal the decision with either the utility provider or the state’s public utilities commission. As a final option, you might decide to dispute the bills in court, which can be a costly and lengthy process that includes hiring an attorney and paying fees.
Even when there are no outstanding issues with a building’s plumbing system, experts say utility prices for this vital resource are climbing. According to Bluefield Research, over the past 12 years, combined U.S. household water and sewer bills increased by an average of 4.1% each year.
“While the reasons for rate increases vary city by city, many have been in response to rising costs for ongoing system operations and maintenance, along with large capital investments to address aging infrastructure,” Bluefield senior analyst Charlie Suse noted in a late 2023 press release. “Across the board, higher costs for labor, chemicals, and materials have been among the most cited reasons for water utility rate increases.”
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Joe Cortez is a freelance contributor to Moneywise.
