LeakBird

(Feb. 13, 2009, The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Atlanta water officials say they’ve discovered one reason why some recent water bills were sky high: Computer software in about 450 water meters miscalculated usage and charged homeowners much more than they should have.

Watershed Management Commissioner Rob Hunter said the department discovered the problem involving some of the 2,800 meters that had the software in question, and it has been fixed. Customers who paid the erroneously high bills will get refunds.

“We’re in no jeopardy of being perfect,” said Hunter, repeating one of his favorite phrases.

Residents deluged city leaders in December with angry complaints about abnormally high water bills. The city back-billed users to collect money that month from a 27.5-percent water rate hike approved in June to help fund $4 billion in water and sewer system improvements.

Some residents who said they were unaware they owed money had their water shut off.

One of the most frustrated water customers was Councilman Howard Shook. The city shut off his service as he tried to resolve a billing dispute. On Jan. 7, Shook fired off a R-rated e-mail to Hunter.

“I’ll have a check tomorrow but anyone thinking this is how to treat customers will deal with a paper I’ll introduce in a heartbeat [laying off] your whole [expletive] department,” Shook wrote.

“Most professional Howard,” Hunter replied by e-mail the following day.

Shook said in an interview he was not serious about getting rid of everyone in the department. The councilman, who said his office has received about three dozen complaints about water billing, said he is “livid with everything going on.”

Shook did say he was embarrassed by his language in the e-mail.

Hunter said he did not take Shook’s e-mail seriously.

Hunter said his office is working on a program that will delay charging customers exceptionally high water bills. The department, he said, will charge the customer what they’ve typically paid until staff fully investigates if the higher bill is correct. Hunter could not say when the new system will begin.

Brookhaven resident Peter Landt said he was stunned in December when he received a $2,700 water bill. His average bill during the first six months of 2008 was $190. The city told him to pay $85 while they checked out the problem.

Landt said a city inspector discovered a worker misread his irrigation meter, which he wasn’t even using. Landt called Shook’s office and has filed a written complaint with the city.

“I have tried my best with them, and nothing’s been done,” Landt said.

Atlanta’s water billing has caught the attention of state lawmakers. The House of Representatives Planning and Community Affairs committee has scheduled a meeting Monday afternoon about the issue.

(Original Article Here)

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