Richmond man wants solution to $8,000+ water bill after months of calls

RICHMOND, Va. -- Bruce Johnson gets upset every time he opens up his bill from the City of Richmond.

He pays the utilities for another family at a South Richmond home, but he said the first bill he received in January was for about $2,000.

In the past eight months, the total amount owed has increased to $8,491.

“That’s when I called again, and the lady said, ‘Mr. Johnson, I don't understand why you're getting such high bills,’ but nothing is being done. I’m just getting high bills," Johnson said. “I have no problem with the City of Richmond. They’ve been very nice to me, but this bill is not being nice."

He said he's routinely contacted the Richmond Department of Public Utilities for assistance.

Back in March, he said a technician came out to inspect and did not find any leaks at the house, so he ended up replacing the water meter.

But Johnson continued to receive high bills, so he continued to call the city to say the issue had not been resolved.

The bills he provided to CBS 6 showed high levels of water and wastewater usage and nearly $1,200 in charges due over the past two months, including late fees.

“I’ve been on the phone a lot of times from day one to try to get downtown. They always come up with the same thing -- call a plumber," Johnson said.

As a former home builder who has worked in plumbing, Johnson said he was confident there was no leak.

“There's nothing. There's no leaks in the house. There's no leak in the front of the house, no leaks at all," Johnson said.

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Months went by without a resolution, so Johnson contacted CBS 6.

After CBS 6 sent an inquiry to DPU Thursday, a spokesperson confirmed a crew returned to the house on Friday to investigate.

While the city said it could not discuss a specific account, Johnson said a technician and a supervisor verified what he already believed to be true.

“They checked all through the house twice. Then they went in front of the house twice," Johnson said. “They confirmed there is no leaks.”

Johnson said they replaced the meter once again, and he will now wait for further information.

In the meantime, Johnson said he's been asked to pay $150 per month. However, he remains concerned about whether those payments align with actual usage.

“What do you pay? You don’t have a bill to know exactly what to pay, only give money. What are you paying? You don’t know. You have no idea whether you’re paying less or too much," Johnson said.

He added, "It's confusing. I'm just trying to get some help."

According to DPU's website , the top three reasons for a high bill are changes in lifestyle, leaks, and faulty meter readings.

DPU also continues to clear a backlog of estimated readings which could result in higher bills.

Anyone can request an investigation of their bill by contacting customer service.

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