City Council Finance Committee hearing to address outrageous water bills

CHICAGO (CBS)-- The Chicago City Council Finance Committee is holding a hearing to address outrageous water bills.

This was prompted by the CBS 2 investigators' four-year Getting Hosed series. CBS 2's Brad Edwards has been investigating water bill issues for Chicago residents. 

The committee is looking into why some customers are being handed bills for thousands of dollars in water they did not use and how to stop it from continuing.

Alderman Gilbert Villegas (36th) said: "What I hope to get from this hearing is first for city government and colleagues to hear from Chicagoans who have been impacted. Today, we have 10 Chicagoans testifying. One as old as 80 years old."

At the hearing, Villegas and his colleagues thanked CBS 2 for highlighting those Getting Hosed by the city Water Department--people like Vietnam veteran Rodney Andrews. He became the poster boy for the bungled billing, unable to live in his home. 

"I refused to pay because I didn't think it was right," he said Tuesday.