Water Bill!

[rhetor]

I live in a house in a Bristol RI, with 3 other roommates who go to RWU.

I recieved the first water bill for the period of something like 36 days. The bill was $56, most of which was the service charge, and the actual water usage amounted to 12 or so dollars.

This time, i recieved a bill for 3 full months, and the bill was $415! It shows gallons used as 56,000! That would mean that each person in my house used 220 gallons of water a day! Is that even possible? At my father's house in CT, he has a 15,000 gallon in ground swimming pool. Its huge!

I called up to make sure they didn't make a miscalculation or something, as i assumed they had read the meter wrong or something. They sent a guy out who assured me that there were no leaks and that this amount of water was normal.

I am at class from 8-12 and go straight to work from 12-8 every day, so i'm not even in the house using water very often. My other 3 roommates do not have jobs and do sit around in the house all day, but even so, isn't this amount of water a little bit obscene?

Any one have any clue?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Thats crazy! Our highest bill was $50 one month and we freaked out.

 

[BillyZ]

18,000+ gallons a month does seem like a lot of water to me.

 

[rhetor]

Everyone i talk to says that the amount of water seems really high.

Hmm... i just went out to see if i could take the latch off and see what the meter read. It has a Pentagonal bolt on it so you need a special tool. I probably shouldn't even look at it anyway so i don't get in trouble. Anyhow, i noticed that when the guy went to look at it this morning, head to remove all the grass and dirt that had grown over the cover. Yet the bill says the meter was read on 11/06. Todays date is 11/16. So in 10 days, in New England November, they are telling me that grass was able to develop nice thick sod over the meter cover, about 2" thick?

I am almost positive that the guy who came out just checked to see if i had a leak also. He said that the meter was not moving at all, which is good because that tells him there is no running water in the house (duh). The guy was very nice, but i think his job for the day was to make sure i didn't have a leak. I know there are no leaks in the house, now we know there are no leaks in the pipe from the meter. SO WHERE DID THE 56,000 GALLONS GO?

They must have either read it wrong, or have been averaging instead of actually taking readings and just found out they forgot to charge $200 to the previous tenants based on averaging. I am tired of living off of rice and pasta because i'm paying so much for utility bills, which ironically both need to be boiled in water!

 

[roka64]

I would check again and make sure you don't have a leak, where the water comes from the city hook up.

 

[crazyred]

Dang, I have a leaky flush valve in my toilet (that I don't know how to fix LOL) and my water bill only went up from the usual $40 to $60. I think something's wrong there will your bill. Definitely.

 

[justrelax]

I don't know about CT, but in MI we have a state law that says the meter must be actually read at least once a year so estimations don't get out of hand. It almost sounds like they were billing you for estimated readings for a while then finally got around to actually checking it and this huge discrepancy came up.

 

[rhetor]

Well here's the thing-

I've been in the house since July.

So that means the discrepency is from the previous tenants! I am definitely not paying for them!!

 

[justrelax]

It sure could be... You should be able to get a billing and usage history from your water company. Each month should say somewhere wether the bill was based on a reading or estimation. I would go right to the water office if I was you... It will be a lot quicker than dealing with them over the phone or by mail; and, they should be able to pull all that info up while you are there and figure it out right away. They should have a record of whose name the bill for that address has been in, but bring a copy of your lease anyway just in case you need to prove to them how long you have been there.
Or it could be a leak as mentioned. You would think someone would have noticed something leaking thousands of gallons of water a day though... Good luck!

 

[FMJnaX]

I'd agree that the usage seems very high, but in my latest experience the amount isn't. We live in an area with some pretty strict water restrictions. The month of September (the month we moved here) we unknowingly went over our water "limit". In addition to the already jacked-up price of water, we were slapped with a "fine". Total bill came out to $600... we presented our case to the city that we were new to the area and weren't aware of any usage "limits" and they knocked off the fine. Bill was still a cold $200 (included service fees and the new sign-up junk). Bill for October was about $130 I believe.

 

[QTOFFER]

Well here's the thing-

I've been in the house since July.

So that means the discrepency is from the previous tenants! I am definitely not paying for them!!

I moved into my apartment six months after the previous tenants moved out. The gas should have been turned off and the meter read when the previous tenants left - not sure whose fault that was. The gas company tried to charge me for the gas used in the previous six months - about $100 worth - to fuel the pilot light in the stove.

I had to fax the company a copy of my lease proving when I moved in and they credited me the difference.

 

[rhetor]

Went straight down to the water office.

The lady asked me if i had an automated sprinkler system.

I am going back on monday because the gentleman who read the meter was not back by the time i was at the office. Whatever happens, i am not paying a $415 bill for no reason.

My previous bill was $52.19 for a 2 month period. Now for a 3 month period it is $414 and change. Something doesn't quite add up there.

 

[rhetor]

alright well after i solve this water bill issue, i'm not paying another one, because i'm moving right out of this house.

This was the second friday night that my 3 roommates planned a huge party without even mentioning it to me. Last time this happened, i had to work at the shop late and showed up to a giant party at my house, then at midnight the cops showed up and my roommates hid inside while i dealt with thim, as well as the kid dying from alcohol poisening in my living room.

So this time i again come home to find they have planned a big party, when the cops show up i basically made it clear to them that the cops would treat them much, much nicer than i would if they didn't go outside instead of being cowards like last time.

After getting back from work today i realize that my 10g is very cloudy, one cherry barb is dead, and my convict cichlid is missing. someone literaly stole my convict. I have no clue what they did with the thing. I have changed the water and am basically watching the other barbs die, i think one might recover, the other looks doomed.

I just don't get it.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Eww, I'm sorry. Add in some fresh activated carbon as well. May help.

Sounds like you need to hightail it outta there, and fast.

 

[Zagz]

Sorry to hear that. Time to get new roommates.

 

[shayfish]

I am sorry to hear that. I bet someone at the party put liquor in your 10g. You should definately move! I have found after a few attempts that paying more rent to live by myself is worth not having to deal with roommates!

 

[rhetor]

I am currently looking for another place to live. I could never afford to live by myself. I've found though that its cheapest to just live with 1 other roommate, and probably a lot less stressful. I know some one who wants to get an apartment with me, and he doesn't suck at life like my current roommates. I work 30 hours a week at the shop, sometimes more, and am scraping by. I really don't need to get arrested over my roommates stupid and illegal actions to boot.

The convict actually showed up this morning! I have no clue how i couldn't find her when i searched last night.

Bad news is she is really suffering. I have been changing the water and she appears to be looking better, but i guess time will tell. I don't think she will make it though.

 

[crazyred]

Did you say someone died in your living room of alcohol poisoning?? 8O 8O 8O OMG, what happened and were there any consequences over it?

 

[rhetor]

No. He did not die. He was taken to the hospital by the paramedics.

He showed up to the raging party my roommates threw, he was completely trashed. It only took 20 minutes for him to end up unconsious in the backyard with a few kids standing around him holding beers. I walked out there wondering what was going on, saw that he was completely out, had vomited all over himself. He offered no communication, was breathing and thats about it. Fortunately 2 kids at the party had EMT training and they took care of him. I told them to take him up to my room so he didn't have to be outside. After a while they said he would probably be alright but they needed to watch them.

After they brought him upstairs, 4 police officers showed up, numerous kids ran off through my neighbors lawn and the woods, i went out and told them that i rented the house, asked what i needed to do to solve this problem, they told me to tell everyone to leave. So i went inside and told everyone to leave, i come outside and one of my roommates had walked out to get his cigarettes in his car and walked right into a cop. The other two roommates went upstairs into the house and hid in their rooms like children. Keep in mind, these are the kids who planned this party, bought the alcohol, and invited all the college kids. Then when the cops show up they run upstairs and hide and leave me to deal with it, who had absolutely no say in the matter. They didn't even tell me there was going to be a party.

So the cops leave and the 2 kids who are EMTs come out and tell me that this kid needs to go to the hospital. They are absolutely drenched in sweat, and thank god for them, they had been staying with him for hours trying to get him to respond. They desperately beg me that they need to call an ambulence. I asked them why the hell they hadn't already, if the kid needs to go to the hospital then call! They said no one would let them. Wow.

So i call 911, the same cops come back. The cop looks at me like i'm the biggest sack of sh** in the world, and i don't blame him. I don't even try to explain how i ended up in this situation, i would just like to see my friend the next day and not at his funeral.

The kid gets brought to the hospital and is awake and hurting the next morning.

Actually 3 days after that party all 4 of my tiger barbs died.

Now my convict has died, 2 barbs are dead, the corys seem like they will pull through, the CAE is missing and assumed dead under a rock.

I am looking at a few apartments and moving out as soon as i can.

I don't need to get arrested for these kids drug habbits and all round irresponsibility.

 

[crazyred]

Wow, that's quite a story! 8O I've had parties like that back in my college days, but it was usually me needing to go to the hospital. Good for you for helping take care of that kid. If he had puke all over himself and was passed out like that I'm not sure I would have wanted him in my house.....shame on me. I'm glad he turned out okay.

Sounds like you do need new roomates and fast. Especially if they're killing your fish with their parties! 8O That, for me, would be the absolute deal breaker.