Fort Lauderdale residents questioning high water bills despite cutting back on usage

Four months after first contacting CBS News Miami, some Fort Lauderdale residents remain fed up. 

They said their water bills remain high despite cutting back on the water they use and being told they don't have any leaks.

Jackie Waldman, Daniel Carinci and Jodie Sweeney contacted CBS News Miami, upset there's been no resolution with their situation.

"They tell me that I've already racked up $910.18 for my bill in June, and that basically what that means is that they're saying I've used 26,000 gallons of water since the beginning of June," Waldman said. "It's just, it's wild."

Daniel Carinici and Jodie Sweeney have a similar story. 

"Last month it said that we used 25,000 gallons. It's just me and her," Carincini said. "We don't fill our pool. We don't use the sprinklers anymore. It's just, it's absurd."

"We hired a leak detection company for a small fortune, and there's no leak," Sweney said.

These residents said they've checked everything possible on their property to identify what's causing the high water bills.

But they've found nothing. 

Waldman described the frustration in trying to find a solution.

"You get deal fatigue and you kind of, they kind of kick you around until you're so kind of you feel defeated and you ultimately just pay," Waldman said.

The City of Fort Lauderdale told CBS News Miami in a statement: 

"Regarding the two accounts you referenced, staff has been in contact with both customers and provided information specific to their individual situations. 

"Staff recently met with Mr. Carinci and discussed options related to irrigation usage, including the process for obtaining a separate irrigation meter. His request for a digital meter was also expedited.

"For Ms. Waldman, a digital meter has been in place at the property for the past year. Based on the information reviewed, her water usage decreased when irrigation was turned off and increased again when irrigation resumed, which contributed to a higher recent bill."

The City of Fort Lauderdale said the average monthly water usage for a single-family home is nearly 5,600 gallons. That's nowhere near the 25,000 gallons these residents complain about.

Linda Short is the finance director for the City of Fort Lauderdale. 

"We hear all the cries," she told CBS News Miami's Anna McAllister.  

"We hear about the posts on next door, and we care, and we want to help as much as we can," she said.

In addition to the irrigation meters, Short pointed out that in Fort Lauderdale, the more water you use, the higher your rate goes.

The City of Fort Lauderdale tells CBS News Miami it has approximately 60,000 accounts.

They said they don't see high water bills as a systemic issue that needs to be handled on an individual basis. The city said the problems they are seeing are not all condensed in one area but spread out. But of 60,000 accounts, they say they only about 30 requests a month about high water bills.

Short also said homes with cast iron pipes may have leaks regular plumbers aren't finding. Short said it's happened to a colleague who is now replacing his cast iron pipes with PVC. 

"He's showing us where there was leaks through the pipes," Short said. "A lot of people have leaks underground and don't know it."

But the residents we spoke with say they don't have cast iron pipes. They have PVC in their homes.

It's not just old pipes, either. Old, hard-to-read water meters are being replaced with digital meters, but the problem persists.

That has residents turning to attorney Brad Cohen for help.

"It's really astounding that the city is saying there's not a problem with this," Cohen said. "The experts are coming back and saying we've checked everything and there's no leak there. So, there is something surely wrong with either the meter or how it's being transmitted. There's definitely something wrong with that and it's an enormous amount of water."

Cohen said he plans to request documents that are public record. He's also going to file paperwork that allows him to work to gather discovery and talk to the people within the city who are responsible for the meters.

The City of Fort Lauderdale says it does want to help residents get to the bottom of what's happening. 

They encourage residents with high water bills to reach out to them by visiting fortlauderdale.gov or calling 954-828-5150.

For help and customer service, click here.

For frequently asked questions, click here.

For information on how to read your meter, click here.