Pittsburgh-area woman receives $3,500 water bill
RESERVE TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — A woman in Reserve Township was hit with a shocking water bill.
Kristen Rebel has 10 days to pay the $3,514.54 tab, but she said she never used the water she's being charged for. Rebel said she normally pays $200 to $300 over the same time.
"I thought that it was totally outlandish," she said. "I had no idea what happened, and I honestly thought it was a mistake."
She said the number Reserve Township said she used does not make sense.
"I didn't host the entire township of Reserve Township to come and shower at my house," Rebel said.
She said she called a plumber and they did not find any issues.
"I think there's an issue either with the technology or the meters," she said.
KDKA-TV spoke with Jan Kowalski, the township manager.
"The bottom line is there is no reason to believe that her water meter is not correct, and there's every indication she did use the 112,000 gallons, which we understand is a surprise," Kowalski said.
Kowalski said there were signs of a leak inside Rebel's home. Rebel disputes that, but Kowalski said unexpectedly high bills like this are not unheard of. She said there's a good way to catch leaks early to avoid a shocking bill.
"We are not in a position to provide all our customers with the up-to-date smart water meters, which is what everyone needs to prevent having a surprise bill like this," Kowalski said.
The township said it has tried to offload its water department to someone who could pay on their own for the meters, but it has hit snags in the approval process.
Rebel hopes the smart meters come soon.
"It would have prevented this situation in the first place and it would at least give me an explanation," Rebel said.
Kowalski says the township is in the process of applying for a grant to get the smart meters. Rebel said she's prepared to empty her savings to keep the water on.
