TULSA, Okla — A Tulsa woman is stuck with a large water bill after the city admitted her water meter was broken.
The Gill family said they don’t use any more water than the average family, and their recent bill for over $870 is unfair, especially since her water meter wasn't working properly. Tulsa's Utility Department told her she used 6,000 gallons when her water meter wasn't working.
"They averaged what our normal consumption was," Gill said. "The best they could come up with was a payment plan.”
2 News got a copy of Hill’s response from the city. They admitted her meter wasn’t reading consumption properly from October 2021 to September 2022, and was replaced in August.
Still, city crews say they averaged her water usage at 6,000 gallons a month during that time. Therefore, the high charge is accurate given Tulsa’s code of ordinances.
Gill says her monthly bill is typically between $120 and $135 per month.
According to the city of Tulsa's code of ordinances, “in the event any meter shall fail to register properly, the consumer shall be charged by an estimate made by the director on the basis of the average monthly consumption during the three (3) month period immediately preceding, or otherwise from the most reliable and accurate data available.”
Tulsa customers called the Problem Solvers about high water bills in 2021, and found out the city was experiencing a shortage of meter readers, resulting in some estimated water bills. The Problem Solvers checked back in with the city of Tulsa, and found out Tulsa has 13 meter readers, up from 11 in February, with four in training. Once those four are out of training, They’ll be fully staffed.
The Gill family recommends other people check their water meters more frequently, so similar instances don't happen to them. But at the end of the day, Gill say it really shouldn’t be their responsibility.
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