INKSTER, Mich. (WXYZ) — Residents in Inkster are expressing growing frustration over what they describe as inconsistent and excessive water billing practices by the city.
"We moved to this area to afford life better and it's still... I'm struggling," resident Nicole Sweet said.
Some homeowners report receiving water bills showing consumption rates that are dramatically higher than their typical usage, leading to concerns about the city's billing practices.
"I'm afraid at this point to wash my dishes. I don't even have a dishwasher, so that's not using a bunch of water," Sweet said.
Sweet and Ziad Elhady are among the residents who received bills that they said were shockingly high.
"We went from 3 to 27 units of consumption," Elhady said.
According to the bill from the city, Elhady and his family of five used over 20,000 gallons of water in a single month — 10 times their typical use of just over 2,000 gallons.
"That's like a mini-school at that point," Elhady said.
Sweet, with her family of three, received an even more surprising bill showing 37 units of consumption, which equals over 27,000 gallons of water.
When residents questioned these unusual bills at city hall, they say they received little explanation.
"They never even told me what happened. They just said 'oh I see what happened. We will work on this and call you back later,'" Sweet said.
Elhady described his interaction with city officials.
"Even when I went over there the first time, she said 'are you sure there's not a leak?' I was like 'there's no way there's a leak... that's a river!'" Elhady said.
Jerome Bivins, director of Public Services for Inkster, explained that while the city purchases water wholesale from the Great Lakes Water Authority, they must also factor in costs for maintenance, labor and repairs to their aging water system.
"We have a very old infrastructure like many communities around here, so it's constantly needing to be upgraded and updated," Bivins said.
The city is planning to address the over-charging issues by installing new water meters with more precise technology.
Hear more from Jerome Bivins in the video player below:
"This new system will improve the quality for the community and the residents on actual billing," Bivins said.
According to Bivins, the new meters will more accurately calculate water usage and can detect water leaks and main breaks.
Residents interested in registering their homes for new water meters can start the process on the city's website.
