TULSA, Okla. — Another day means another high water bill for one Tulsa resident, and it has to do with faulty water meters, but the city believes they have a plan to combat the program.
2 News has been reporting about many Tulsa residents claiming their water bills have been extremely high this year.
Desaray Whitehead, of Tulsa, will do anything for her four children, but lately she she says it’s been a challenge just to keep the lights on.
“I’m a single mom trying to take care of this," Whitehead said. "For them to just slap that on me, it’s really hard.”
She’s talking about her arch water bill of over $200. She says her water meter was unknowingly broken, but the city’s still making her pay for the excess usage.
“That shouldn’t fall on me," Whitehead said.
Symone Gill, of Tulsa, had to pay an $870 bill for the same reason.
“I don’t understand, how we living as residents, can monitor our water meters," Gill said.
The city seems to be listening. They just announced this week they plan to install 145,000 automated residential water meters outside homes across the city.
The new meters will automatically store water usage data that can be transmitted to a city vehicle driving down the street using a low-level radio signal. Then, it will be transferred to a database, where the billing department can monitor and analyze usage.
Through the ‘True Reads’ program, Tulsa water staff say the technology will give more accurate water meter readings.
“That would be amazing. They need to get that done and I hope I’m one of the first ones," Whitehead said.
The program will also include testing for lead in pipes or connectors used in older homes.
It's expected to begin later this year and take around three to five years to be complete.
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