Irregularities plague water bills

Residents complain to the City Council that their bills are 'erratic' and that the meters are not being read. By MICHAEL STEWART, Daily News Staff Writer CRESTVIEW - Prompted by new complaints, city officials have promised to fix irregularities in the water department's meter-reading procedures.

Ken Pickens, chairman of the Steeplechase subdivision, complained to the City Council Monday, telling officials that residents were suspicious after receiving "erratic" bills. Some residents were billed $130 one month and $40 the next when there was no substantial difference in their consumption,

he said.

Pickens said suspicions were confirmed when four residents rigged their meters to see if they had been opened. "The meters are not getting read," he said.

Accusations that city water meters are not being read are nothing new. In June, several residents approached the council with tales of meters covered in cobwebs and bills that doubled even though no one was at home during the billing cycle.

Travis Gillihan, assistant public services director, said the city's six meter readers were reprimanded when the allegations first surfaced.

"Personally, I think the guys were just misreading them," he said.

Crestview resident Voncil Cobb approached the City Council in June when her bill showed that she had used 70,000 gallons the previous month.

"There is no way in the world I could have used that much water - unless I own a swimming pool somewhere that I don't know about," she said.

City officials said in June that many people were incorrectly billed because of a computer error.

Deputy City Clerk David Parrish said he has taken steps to ensure that the meters are read in the future. The old meter books contained the previous meter reading.

"It was very easy to say, 'I am going to add 2,000 to 3,000 gallons to this account if I don't want to read it,' " he said.

Parrish had the previous readings removed from the books so that cannot happen in the future.

City Councilman Sam Hayes said he would keep tabs on the situation.

"I am going to follow up on this and if it is still a problem, I want it corrected right away," Hayes said.

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-- Doris (groomlk@bellsouth.net), September 28, 2000