High Water Bills Perplex Some Garland Homeowners
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GARLAND (CBS11) - Upset over high water bills, dozens of homeowners met with Garland city leaders Tuesday night.
"Something has got to be wrong if all of us are out here complaining about the same thing!" said one woman in the crowd.
The city says homeowners are watering their lawns more than ever, now that water restrictions have been lifted.
Mildred Garcia, though, says that doesn't explain the increase in her bill. Garcia points to the cracks in her lawn as evidence she never waters it.
"I believe in water conservation," she said.
She usually uses only 800 gallons a month. In July, she was billed for 1100 gallon and, in August, for 2100 gallons.
"I don't water my lawn. I live here by myself. I have not changed my habits," she said.
Garland's water department usually receives about 300 complaints about meters during the summer months. This summer, it received 595 in August alone.
The department's director of customer service, Kevin Slay, says the city is looking into each of those complaints.
"We are spot checking meters, manually reading meters… We're double checking our entire process from measurement to dropping that bill in the mail," he said.
So far the city says it hasn't found a single faulty meter.
But, some residents remain skeptical.
"Right now, I don't trust the city," said Garcia.
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