Jackson resident receives $1,000 water bills

One Jackson resident has a $6,000 water bill and others have received bills of more than $1,000, city council members say.

"I have gotten a lot of complaints about people receiving exorbitant water bills," Ward 7 City Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said.

Jackson Public Works Director Keisha Powell said new water meters are being installed, which is leading to some billing problems.

"It looks like some people's meter hadn't been read in sometime when new meters are installed," Powell said.

Powell said she reviewed a bill where $6,000 is owed. She said the customer was allowed to keep water on while paying less than the amount owed and the balance continued to rollover.

Powell said it appears some people haven't had meters read in a long time and water usage has been based upon estimates instead actual use.

Barrett-Simon said there has been a myriad of complaints recently about water billings, including residents receiving high bills and some having water turned off immediately after receiving bills.

Powell said they are working on a case-by-case bases to see if adjustments need to be made to certain water bills.

Powell said there are some water bill inaccuracies, but she said there are some outstanding, exorbitant water bills that are accurate. "Once new meters are installed, we are going back to see if adjustments need to be made," she said.

Powell said the city is trying to clean up billing problems before going to a new, consumer-friendly water bill system. She said there is a tremendous data clean up that is needed.

The new billing system was originally scheduled to begin Jan. 1, but will be pushed back, Powell said.

The city is currently in the process of installing approximately 65,000 new water meters. The meters will provide a more accurate tracking of water usage and that could mean higher water bills. Officials expect all of the meters to be installed by the end of this year.

The new meters are also part of a deal to improve the city's infrastructure. In April 2013 the city agreed to a $90 million deal with Siemens Corp. In addition to the meters, the money is being used to upgrade the city's water plant and about two miles of sewer lines.

Last year, water rates increased 29 percent and sewer rates more than doubled to help raise money for the city's infrastructure. The extra money from those rate increases is supposed to help with the $400 million federal consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency that was signed off on in 2012. The $400 million is the cost of fines and improvements to the city's water treatment system.

Power said this week that the new water bill system will be delayed until she is assured all new meters have been installed and it is determined everything is working properly with the new water meters.

Ward 6 City Councilman Tyrone Hendrix wondered if there is anyone on the city's staff to oversee whether the meters are reading water usage accurately. Powell said there is no one at this time.

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at jgates@jackson.gannett.com or (601) 961-7212. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.