Metro Residents Report More High Water Bills, What OKC Wants Customers To Do

More people are coming forward with high water bills in the metro. After we told you about a spike some northwest Oklahoma City customers saw on their water bills, more viewers reached out. One man in the Village says his bill was around $67 but for July it shot up over $100. He said he reached out to the city and after a check, it determined his meter was read incorrectly.

Even though it seems like a trend, the city of Oklahoma City says there are many reasons a water bill could spike. The city says high water bills are common in the summer with more water usage in pools and sprinklers. Another reason could be a water leak.

Some customers feel they could be overpaying because of the increase which in some cases is more than four times from the previous month.

Audra Upton has collected about 15 bills from her neighbors and sent them into the city to investigate. Her bill went from $126 to more than $500.

“Which was surprising because we were actually on vacation for about nine days in July and we didn't run our sprinklers and I thought our bill would be less and to our surprise, it was considerably more,” Upton said. 

The city encourages customers who experience a sudden or unusual spike in their bill to contact a customer service representative at 405-297-2833 to investigate the issue.

The city said these are things customers should keep in mind:

1. Sudden spikes in usage can often indicate a water leak.
2. To check for outdoor leaks, conduct a sprinkler check-up and look for broken sprinkler heads/pipes, misdirected spray, or puddling or pooling around hardscape areas.
3. Check automatic sprinkler systems for hidden programs or overly long run times. Most Oklahoma turfgrasses do not need more than 1” of water per week during the summer, so any watering beyond that is excessive and not needed for optimal grass growth. Most modern sprinkler systems offer programs for “odd-even” scheduling and include rain or weather sensors that will turn off the system when rain occurs.
4. Check outdoor spigots.
5. Check for indoor leaks such as silent toilet leaks or leaks in a sink faucet or from a shower head. This is especially true in homes with spare bathrooms that may not be used frequently.

For more information about leaks and how to save on your water bill during the summer, visit okc.gov/utilities and squeezeeverydrop.com.