A snowbird contends a meter mistake resulted in a huge bill for unused water at a time when he was up north.
After a great deal of frustration trying to straighten out the matter with The Villages Utility Department, William “B.J.” Thompson of the Village of Mallory Square pleaded his case Monday before the North Sumter Community Utility Dependent District Board.
The 14-year homeowner in The Villages explains that he always shuts off the water at the main shutdown valve before going home in the summer months to Ohio. When he and his wife are in The Villages, their water usage usually runs at 3,000 to 5,000 gallons per month, which is typical for occupied homes in The Villages.
Thompson was shocked to receive a bill that showed he had used 26,220 gallons of water at a time when he was up north and the water was shut off. Thompson added that he has his home checked regularly while he and his wife are in the Buckeye State. Nothing was amiss.
When Thompson attempted to report the irregularity to the utility department, he got little sympathy. He was told he probably had a leaky toilet.
Thompson took to social media and soon learned that other Villagers have similar stories. He presented documentation to the NSCUDD board that showed unexplained water usage surges by residents in Duval, Hadley and Poinciana. He suggested those cases might be the tip of the iceberg.
“I think there are many more out there,” Thompson said.
In the NSCUDD service areas of The Villages, contractor Jacobs uses meter readers in blue golf carts who drive to all of the customers’ homes in order to laboriously read the meters for billing for water usage. NSCUDD is hoping to modernize the meter system at some point, but board members know it will be costly. The NSCUDD board has spent in excess of $200 million within the past four years, buying utility infrastructure from the Developer, therefore it is already saddled with significant long-term debt. The NSCUDD board this week balked at a consultant’s suggestion that a 25 percent rate hike be enacted this year.