WASHINGTON — For the second day in a row, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission customers in Montgomery County have complained to their local council member that their water bills are through the roof.
But Jerry Irvine, with the WSSC, says there’s no glitch in the billing system and the high bills are the likely result of three things: An extended billing period because meter readers were unable to get to snowed in neighborhoods, increased use because customers and their families were spending more time at home thanks to snow days, and breaks in water lines due to the harsh weather.
Montgomery County Councilmember Roger Berliner remains skeptical, “I don’t buy it. I think there’s something else going on here.”
Irvine says the WSSC got 24 complaints in 24 hours and after chasing them all down was able to resolve the issues. Again, he chalks it up to increased use and leaks.
But can you really flush your way to double your water bill? Irvine says that’s not likely, but when you figure an extended billing period, add in increased use with whole families doing more laundry, washing more dishes and taking more showers, “When you put those together, you can see where you might typically have a $250 dollar bill and now you’re in a high $300
