RICHMOND, Va. — Bruce Johnson gets upset every time he opens up his bill from the City of Richmond.
He pays the utilities for another family at a South Richmond home, but he said the first bill he received in January was for about $2,000.
In the past eight months, the total amount owed has increased to $8,491.
“That’s when I called again, and the lady said, ‘Mr. Johnson, I don’t understand why you’re getting such high bills,’ but nothing is being done. I’m just getting high bills,” Johnson said. “I have no problem with the City of Richmond. They’ve been very nice to me, but this bill is not being nice.”
He said he’s routinely contacted the Richmond Department of Public Utilities for assistance.
Back in March, he said a technician came out to inspect and did not find any leaks at the house, so he ended up replacing the water meter.
But Johnson continued to receive high bills, so he continued to call the city to say the issue had not been resolved.
The bills he provided to CBS 6 showed high levels of water and wastewater usage and nearly $1,200 in charges due over the past two months, including late fees.