MAUMEE, Ohio — Many Maumee residents continue to complain that they are receiving water bills so outrageous that the bills cannot be accurate and residents cannot afford to pay them.
Residents who have reached out to WTOL 11 Investigates report that they are receiving quarterly water bills in the thousands.
One of those Maumee water customers is Kayla Plaunt. She lives alone in a 1,600-square-foot home along Anderson Avenue. She works two jobs, including one as a physical therapist. She said that since March, she’s been “tapped out,” sinking every dime she can into a more-than $4,000 city of Maumee water bill.
“You know I can’t take care of this right now,” Plaunt said. “I can’t feasibly do that making mortgage payment, student loans things like that. On top of that, I’ve got other bills that I’m responsible for.”
And Plaunt is not alone. WTOL 11 first reported these abnormally high water bills this summer. We introduced you to Cheryl Baker with a $1,600 bill, who tells us that bill is now over $2,000 when you add on late-payment charges. We also told the tale of Shelby Lutz and her family, who were also hit with a quarterly bill that totaled $2,000.
Plaunt, like many others, said the city claimed she had a leak somewhere around the house. But Plaunt, once again, like many other we’ve talked to, say that’s not the case.
Some may wonder if there is a geographic pattern to the huge water bills, but that does not appear to be the case. WTOL 11 surveyed Plaunt's neighbors on Anderson Avenue, asking about their bills the last three quarters. No one else has a bill as large as Plaunt's.
When WTOL 11 asked Mayor Rich Carr this summer for an interview, he sent us a written statement instead.
"We will not publicly discuss individual residents' personal water bills or payment history," the mayor said. "For residents who have a bill they are not capable of immediately paying, they can contact the city."
But Plaunt said she's tried to reach the city but had no luck.
“I’ve tried to contact the mayor," she said. "I’ve emailed. I’ve called, left messages, follow up emails."
She has gotten no response, which is frustrating, Plaunt said.
Maumee posted a letter in May of 2021 telling its residents about the failure of batteries in the water meters, which forced the city to estimate bills.
In an email to WTOL 11, City Administrator Patrick Burtch wrote, “The very technological advances that enabled the city to provide state-of-the-art communication between meters and billing without manually reading meters has failed on a large scale.”
But the weight of that failure is now the shoulders of water customers, including Plaunt.
“I have a sticky note of all the things I’m gonna get done,” Plaunt said. “And that just keeps – it’s on there – but it’s kind of moving down and other things keep moving up, you know? It looms.”
WTOL 11 has learned that Mueller Systems, the company behind the smart meters used in Maumee, has been sued over billing-related issues in other communities. Those cities also sued Mueller over meters that didn’t work properly or broke long before expected.
One of those cities in Mississippi won an almost $90 million settlement. We asked Maumee’s city administrator if Maumee is looking to do the same for its residents and we’re still waiting to hear back.
If you or someone you know is fighting one of these high-water bills, you can text us at 419-248-1100 or email wtoland we will not stop trying to get you some answers.
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