Resident, city at odds over East Point water bill
When East Point’s Virginia Reynolds opened her water bill in early September, she couldn’t believe it.
Instead of the normal $20 or $30 bill, she was staring at a staggering figure just short of $1,200.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I got on the phone right away,” she said.
First Reynolds said she was told it was a computer error. Then she was told that a city meter worker had determined there was a leak at the house.
She said she knew there was a small drip coming from one of her toilets, but she had a hard time believing that drip caused 137,000 gallons of water to be used.
What happened next further bewildered the 32-year East Point resident.
“I was sitting in my home one day, and the power went off,” she said.
When she went outside to try and find the problem, she saw a city worker in her yard.
“She told me it was city policy to turn off the power if the bill wasn’t paid,” Reynolds said.
East Point operates its own utilities; the bill in question included charges for water and sewer.
Reynolds headed back to the city and was told the power could not be turned back on unless a $60 reconnection fee was paid. She paid the fee, still believing something was wrong with her water bill.
Reynolds said she told East Point Mayor Earnestine Pittman about the situation, who told her to discuss the problem with the city.
Customer Care service manager Lawrence Davis said that after he learned about the situation last Friday, he found a notice in Reynolds' file indicating the city had detected a leak. The proper procedure would have been for the citizen to hire a certified plumber to determine if there is a leak, he said.
“That wasn’t done. They went ahead and changed the toilet,” Davis added.
Reynolds said her husband, Fred Holloway, replaced the toilet in late September.
Reynolds said city officials told her that the water meter, which had been spinning out of control, had started spinning normally on Sept. 13. But. she said. the toilet was not replaced until Sept. 18.
While she plans to continue discussions with the city, Reynolds said that in the meantime she agreed to a $98-a-month payment plan in order to keep the power on.
