Water meter mixup has Phoenix woman paying neighbor’s water bills
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Phoenix woman says she’s been getting questionable water bills for years, so she reached out to Arizona’s Family for help.
It all started when Heather Johnson moved into her north Phoenix home in 2021. Right away, she says she noticed something was wrong with her water bill. “I just couldn’t figure out why it was saying I was using so much,” she said. “I was doing things to conserve water and to make sure I was responsible and then I thought, OK, this is just what the bills are now.”
Johnson went about her life and kept paying the bills until her next-door neighbor had a leak in February. She had had enough, so she called a plumber out to check things out. “At that point, I said I have a suspicion that the water lines are switched,” Johnson says. “He was working out there for a little bit and came back and knocked on my door and said, ‘I think you’re right. I think the meters are switched and you’ve been paying your neighbor’s water bill.’”
That turned out to be a problem because it’s just her and her son living in the home. The neighbors have a bigger family and have higher water bills. Johnson said she has called the city several times. Eventually, she said they got the water lines and meters routed to the right bills.
They also agreed to give her a credit of around $1,300. But that only covers the past 36 months, not the entire four years. “Just give me what is due, what is mine, what I overpaid for the four years and maybe the $200 reimbursement and we’ll move forward from there,” Johnson said. She added that the $200 is what she spent to have the plumber come out to her home.
Arizona’s Family talked with the city on Wednesday. They called Johnson and said they want to work with her, but they’re running into a city code that only allows them to make adjustments within three years. Johnson says even with that code, there has to be a way to make it right for the entire four years.
Arizona’s Family will keep up with the situation and let you know how the story ends.
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