By Angela Brown

Battleford resident hit with $6,000 water bill; Town refers to policy

Sep 19, 2017 | 5:00 PM

The Town of Batleford referred to established policy when considering a resident’s complaint about a high water bill.

After receiving a water-sewer bill for $6,094, a Battleford resident sent a letter to the town saying his property’s underground sprinkler drip line had a leak he wasn’t aware of. The resident asked the town to deduct $3,854 from his account, saying he wasn’t immediately notified he had a high reading for water usage in July to alert him of the problem. He said in his letter he believes both parties are ”somewhat at fault.” 

Mayor Ames Leslie said “it’s an unfortunate situation,” but residents need to be aware of the town’s policy concerning water leaks on their property.

“When it comes to sprinklers or toilets, water leaks can cost you a lot of money when they are not rectified within a short amount of time,” he said. “This was a sprinkler that was leaking underneath the ground… over two months. It built up a pretty large bill.”

The town said the breach was caused by “a significant water leak” in the property owner’s sprinklers, resulting in the water loss.

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However, the excess water drained into the ground and not the town’s sewer system, the resident confirmed.

Council recommended the resident pay the full water fee billed. However, the town will revise the sewer bill portion for the period, so the resident wouldn’t be charged for any excess sewer fees, up to $1,866, or the September sewage charges. The remainder of this sewer cost would be written off by the town.

Mayor Leslie said residents are responsible for ensuring their properties don’t have any leaks.

The town’s policy, number 251-2007, indicates all water that passes through the water metre will be charged on the utility bill: “No adjustments will be made due to leaking taps, toilets, underground sprinklers or any other plumbing issues of the dwelling.” 

Leslie said residents need to inspect their systems periodically.

“Make sure that your water lines… and any lines are checked for leaks quite often, because you are responsible, as per town policy, to pay that bill if you do have a leak on your property,” he said.

The resident did not want to comment further to battlefordsNOW on his letter to the town or the town’s decision.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW