Some residents in Cambria were shocked to open their mail and find a sudden increase on their water bill this past month.
Moni Hopkins, owner of the New Moon and Half Moon stores in Cambria, says her last water bill was $5,000 while her typical bimonthly bill is around $250.
“When I asked the CCSD they say, 'We can’t really explain it but we’ll look,'" Hopkins said. "They did. They said but we’ll just charge you an average. Then my bill was $500, double of what it has ever been. Don’t know how that’s an average and now my bill has gone back to around $250."
Several residents say they've received higher-than-normal bills recently, including Michele Sherman. She cut back on how often she does her laundry, got rid of all of her plants, and even tested out not taking a bath for six days to see if her bill would decline, but she says it remained the same.
“No matter how much you cut back, they’re still telling me I’m using five units of water and it can’t possibly be true. It can’t," Sherman said.
Cambria Community Services District General Manager Matthew McElhine says that new, increased rates took effect in July, and this is the time of year when usage is at its highest — two of the factors leading to higher bills.
He says another factor is related to the CSD's new metering system.
"The Cambria Community Services District is aware of several customer concerns regarding recent water billing variances following the implementation of our new Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system. In one instance, a customer’s meter was mistakenly swapped twice, resulting in multiple billing cycles being recorded as a single cycle. That situation has been identified and is being corrected," McElhine said in a statement to KSBY News.
McElhine also said that during the rollout of the new AMI system, some meters under-recorded usage, resulting in lower bills for one or more cycles. Once that issue was identified, the affected customers experienced a spike on their next bill. Less than 50 customers were reportedly affected.
Sherman says while her latest bill only went up by about $15, she lives on a fixed income, making the increased rates hard to manage.
“I can’t afford it. I don’t buy groceries anymore. I mean, you have to pay the water bill. You need water," Sherman said.
McElhine says they’re contacting those affected and expect the integration issues to be resolved soon.
You can contact the Cambria CSD with any questions at (805) 927-6223.
