Florida Woman Receives $967 Water Bill, Can Hardly Imagine Using That Much Water

Dianne Welter of Hernando County was billed $967 for allegedly consuming 22,800 gallons of water. After initial investigations, no leaks were found in her home.

Dianne Welter was shocked beyond belief upon receiving her monthly water bill for $967.09, whereas the usual utility expense is only around $13.

The woman initially thought that it was a mistake but later confirmed that the billing was correct. Hernando County, Florida, sent workers to check the meter and a possible leakage for her high utility bill.

The workers later confirmed no leaks, leaving Welter wondering how her home could use up that much water with no leaking faucets and an energy-efficient toilet. She said:

“We would have heard water running. You can hear when your toilet is running. You can hear if the hose is left on. You can hear that water going through your system.”

For comparison, Welter’s bill is enough to use 22,800 gallons of water, the same amount that can fill a 10,000-gallon pool over two times.

Investigator Shannon Behnken from Hernando County believes that 22,800 gallons of water are a lot to use for Welter and her roommate.

According to Behnken, the matter will further be investigated when the water department head and customer service meet with Welter.

Getting billed a significant amount for water usage has happened in the past. Previously, Margaret Kreusser from Escondido, California, was billed a whopping $16,000 for a month’s worth of water consumption.

The Escondido Utility Billing Department claimed that her water usage went from 150 gallons to 87,000 gallons in a single day.

As such, she is suing the city for over $300,000.

Waterworks expert George Newman believes that the billing was outrageous, and it was impossible for Kreusser to have a leak, as opposed to what the utility company said.

While city workers said the water seeped into the ground or ended up flowing into a creek, Newman thinks otherwise. Her bill is enough to cover usage for 60 gallons of water a minute. He

:

“That would blast out of the ground like you wouldn’t believe. It might go 75, 80 feet high. There would be a sinkhole there; you could put half a dozen busses in.”

He added that there was no explanation for a single person to consume such an amount of water. He further claimed that the meter must have been broken.

While Kreusser was normally billed the following month, the city still expects her to pay the $16,000. As such, she is suing the city for over $300,000.

Meanwhile, more than $29 million of unpaid electricity bills will be forgiven in Texas following the devastating winter storm in February.