HENRYETTA, Okla. — Andrew Potter was on vacation when he got a call from someone at Henryetta’s city hall. They said he racked up hundreds of dollars worth of water usage.
"Oh wow, my house might just be a sponge right now," Potter thought.
When he sent someone to check on the place, he was relieved to find out no damage was done. He said a plumber shut off all the water in the house and checked if the meter was moving. The plumber saw nothing.
"I don’t make it a habit to pay out money for unknown reasons," Potter said.
Morgan Huerta dealt with some of the same issues, though she didn't call a plumber.
"My dad’s kind of a handyman," Huerta said.
He didn't find a leak. 2 News contacted City Manager David Bullard to get some answers from the city. He declined a recorded interview but offered some advice.
First, he said, rates have increased, but not so much that someone would see their bills go up hundreds of dollars without a leak. The average bill in town, he said, is around $78 per month. They’ve got that all on record at city hall.
"It was really helpful for me to go up there and have them print out all my bills," Huerta said, "They put them all on a spreadsheet for you, where you can look at them all at one time."
Bullard added if someone is shocked to see a high water bill, call a plumber, and check for a leak.
If indeed, there is a leak, documented by the plumber, neighbors can bring that paperwork to city hall and they will cut the bill in half. Potter said he doesn’t have a leak, but Bullard, without knowing about Potter's specific case, is confident in the meters and the readers.
"It would just be nice to have the full story from them on that," Potter said.
Bullard said anyone with issues can go to city hall and ask to see him. He will help navigate any issues people may face. Meanwhile, Potter offered a tip to people in his boat.
"Be documenting where your water meter is monthly or some period of frequency that makes sense," Potter said.
Huerta resolved her case over the summer. The city credited her some money and replaced her water meter.
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