MAUMEE, Ohio — Dozens of residents turned out to a Maumee City Council meeting Monday night to voice concerns about their water bills. Many in the city said they have received water bills upwards of $1,000.
Maumee resident Shelby Lutz said she had to take out a loan to pay a bill. Cheryl Baker, another Maumee resident, said she's been billed for water when she isn't even home, and contrary to city claims, does not have a leak.
"Obviously, I'm not using 2,500 gallons of water a day," Maumee resident Cheryl Baker said. "For 10 days in June, April, I was in Florida. 2,500 gallons, 999 gallons ... while I'm gone. How is this getting explained?"
In almost every case, residents claim their questions haven't been answered or they've been mocked by city employees, despite Maumee Mayor Rich Carr stating at the meeting that the city has made many attempts to communicate via newspaper and television.
Carr said the city has 6,355 water and sewer accounts and only 41 are on "catch-up payment plans."
He said that is one-half of 1% of the accounts experiencing problems.
WTOL 11 Lead Investigator Brian Dugger addressed the administration at the meeting and cited examples of cases brought to WTOL 11 of residents receiving no answers from the city utility department or being mocked by city employees.
"She was mocked and this person said, 'Apparently you're doing too much laundry or you're taking too many showers,' and this was explaining thousands of gallons, thousands," Dugger said at the meeting.
Maumee residents who are affected by unusually high water bills and haven't gotten help can reach out to WTOL 11 by calling or texting 419-248-1100.