WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — When Linda Blunt opened her water bill earlier this year, she expected to see the usual $70 charge. Instead, she saw a staggering total close to $600.
“I thought, ‘Oh no, what in the world? They made a mistake,’” Blunt said.
The city hadn’t made an error. A plumber later confirmed that her water meter was spinning uncontrollably — a telltale sign of a leak. The leak turned out to be significant, and the fix came with a high price tag: $6,634…