Illinois Man Fights $5K+ Water Bill
By Sara Jerome,
@sarmje
A man from Homewood, IL, is taking his water department to court over an enormous bill, alleging that the local government carried out deceptive practices and refused to issue an accurate reading.
Paul Otubusin was sent a $5,347 water bill earlier this year, despite that previous water readings for his two-person home have been normal.
The lawsuit filed in Cook County court said Otubusin received a letter from the village government in June telling him he had used over $5,000 worth of water, according to the Chicago Tribune. The letter recommended that he survey his property for leaks. The water department bills customers every three months, according to the village.
Otubusin checked for leaks, but did not find any. He wrote back saying "there was no way" he used such a large amount of water, according to the Tribune.
"Obviously, I am not in a position to pay a water bill of $5,195.14 for water consumption that should [be] less than $200," Otubusin wrote in the letter, per the Tribune.
The village did not back down, according to CLTV. Otubusin is also suing for attorney's fees.
According to the EPA, "The average American uses around 100 gallons per day per person in the household. That means a family of four would use around 12,000 gallons in a 30 day period."
Sometimes the cause of an unusually high bill is a mystery for the ratepayer and the utility.
When a Wichita Public Works ratepayer recently questioned a $2,782 bill, the utility lowered it to $1,000. The ratepayer provided documentation from a plumber who had not found any leaks, KWCH reported.
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