Meters are only able to tell you two things: if water is passing through it and how much water has passed. No meter can tell you where that water has gone. As we launch our advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) program, which will replace analog meters with digital meters, our customers will be in a better position to identify – and correct – leaks and plumbing problems earlier. Currently, we are only able to read meters once a month, and the customer might not learn about a plumbing problem for several weeks. With AMI, readings will be taken every 15 minutes, and customers will be able to receive real time alerts that their meter is registering higher than normal use or using water when you should not be.
When a customer experiences higher than usual usage, they are always in a better position than Columbia Water staff to know what might have happened on the property to cause an increase in water use. Our Customer Advocates are trained to help customers through this troubleshooting process by showing how to use their meter to look for leaks, giving them tips on common places where leaks might occur, and asking them about activities that might cause significant water usage to try and jog the customer’s memory.
Ideally, the Customer Advocate will be able to help the customer identify the cause and suggest ways to avoid the problem in the future or fix leaks that might be causing high usage. Columbia Water also encourages customers to find and fix leaks or plumbing problems by offering a Plumbing Repair Adjustment. Customers who demonstrate they have fixed a leak may be eligible for a bill reduction for up to 3 months of bills once their usage has returned to normal. For any amount above their average usage, they may receive a 50% reduction in the water portion of their bill and either a 50% or 100% reduction in the sewer portion, depending on if the water drained to the sewer system or not.
However, not every cause can be identified or is caused by a leak or plumbing problem that can be repaired. Although the customer is responsible for all of the water that passes through their meter, Columbia Water recognizes that this can cause a financial burden for customers when an unfortunate event or some unknown problem causes a significantly higher than usual bill. To help our customers, Columbia Water has a Courtesy Adjustment policy. For any high usage above their average usage, customers may receive a 50% reduction in both their water and sewer charges for a single month.
Customers are only eligible for a single reduction, regardless of the type, once in a 12 month period. Both of the two bill reduction policies are available here: http://www.columbiasc.net/customer-care/utility-billing/plumbing-adjustments.
Columbia Water does not issue either a Plumbing Adjustment or a Courtesy Adjustment if an investigation determines the high bill was caused by a staff or equipment error. A customer will never be held liable for the additional charges if Columbia Water determines there was a staff or equipment error. Instead, Columbia Water will credit the account for all of the erroneous charges and removes any related penalties.
Status of the Account in Question
Timeframe for the account usage:
- Prior to November 9 – Prior meter reading was 1267
- November 9 – Meter reading of 1367. This was 100 units above the previous reading. Since the account averaged 3 units a month prior to this reading, the account was flagged for a reread.
- November 15 – Technician attempted to reread and could not take a reading because of a foggy glass.
- November bill – Because the reading could not be confirmed, the system generated an estimated bill with an estimated reading of 1270, and the customer was billed for 3 units.
- December 13 – Meter reading of 1371. Because of the previous estimated reading of 1270, this flagged the account for another reread.
- December 18 – Technician was able to reread the meter. Meter reading of 1371 was confirmed.
- December bill – The bill was generated using the confirmed reading of 1371.
When the customer received the unusually high December bill, a Columbia Water Customer Advocate became involved. The Customer Advocate met with the customer and attempted to help the customer troubleshoot the cause of the high use, including walking the customer through using the meter to look for leaks on the property. The cause of the high usage could not be determined. The Customer Advocate helped the customer receive a Courtesy Adjustment.
During an investigation, our Customer Advocates will often discuss the possible causes of a higher than expected reading with the customer, including the potential for reader or equipment error. However, Columbia Water has a policy to recheck the meter and determine if a human error contributed to the high read. In this case, our technicians confirmed the reading and verified there was no error on our part. The Courtesy Adjustment was issued because there was no apparent leak on the property to be fixed, and the unusually high bill would have caused a hardship for the customer. As with any case, if we find later that the error was ours or the customer provides additional information to demonstrate the error was ours, we will bring the customer’s bill back to the average usage.
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Columbia Water is the drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utility owned and operated by the City of Columbia, SC. For more information, visit www.columbiasc.net/utilities-engineering.