In parts of Fort Lauderdale, opening the monthly water bill has turned into a minor horror show. Homeowners who say they have been carefully conserving now report statements listing tens of thousands of gallons and totals ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Some say their meters are logging eye-popping usage even after plumbers, irrigation crews, and leak-detection specialists checked everything out.
The city is in the middle of swapping out older meters for digital ones, but that shift has not calmed nerves. For residents staring at four-figure totals, the new technology has become one more thing to question.
Jackie Waldman says her June bill came in at $910.18, with the city telling her she had used 26,000 gallons since the start of the month. Another resident, Daniel Carinci, says his household was billed for about 25,000 gallons in a single month. Homeowner Jodie Sweeney says a leak-detection company combed through her property and found nothing. The residents say they have exhausted the obvious fixes and are still stuck with steep bills, according to CBS Miami.
City: New Meters And Step-By-Step Guidance
City officials say they are investigating individual extreme cases and are urging customers to contact the utility department and request account reviews. Municipal materials note that a typical single-family household in Fort Lauderdale uses roughly 5,600 gallons a month…