$700 bill for water? Magnolia neighborhood upset, complains to city

When Jerry Oaksmith opened his most recent Seattle water bill he was shocked, as were a number of his Magnolia neighbors who opened theirs.

For the 62 days ending July 24, Oaksmith had consumed more than 1,000 gallons per day, a 238 percent increase from the same period last year. His city water tab: $700.69.

"I thought it was a mistake," said Oaksmith, who notes that no one was at home for almost two weeks during the billing cycle. "I thought I had another leak," he said, referring to an earlier problem with his sprinkler system.

But Oaksmith could find no leaks. He also insists his usage has not changed dramatically since last summer.

But the city is standing by its calculations for Oaksmith — and for most of his neighbors, who also are upset over their higher bills.

"In general, everyone is using more water this summer than last summer," said Pat Colson, Seattle Public Utilities' customer-service director. "People clearly cut back last summer because of the drought, and usage is back up in most cases."

The utility's statistics bear her out: Among its 1.3 million customers, summer water use was up an average of 22 million gallons a day in June, 13 million gallons a day last month and, through last Sunday, 16 million gallons a day in August.

Meeting with Magnolia residents In response to a number of Magnolia residents who have complained about high water bills, Seattle Public Utilities officials have set up a meeting to go over individual accounts. Officials have not scheduled similar meetings in other communities but would if a significant number of people from a particular neighborhood contacted them. The Magnolia meeting is scheduled today from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Magnolia room of the Magnolia Community Center, 2550 34th Ave. W.

The increase may also stem from less emphasis on conservation (last winter was wet and snowy in the mountains, while last summer's drought resulted from the previous fall and winter's light rains and lean snow pack). Also, this summer is drier than last, utility officials say.

Putting a financial hurt on some ratepayers is the impact of a "third-tier" residential charge that went into effect midsummer last year as a result of the drought. As the Seattle City Council put it, the idea was to send a "price signal" to water hogs.

This past spring, after determining that too many households with large families were getting caught up in third-tier charges, the council softened its stance. It retained the third tier but increased the usage threshold needed to reach it and reduced the rate. The revised plan took effect in mid-July.

But to a significant extent, the bills customers opened last month reflected the original third-tier rate, pegged to quadruple the second-tier rate. In Oaksmith's case, for example, of his $700.69 water bill, $596.55 was attributable to third-tier charges, mostly calculated at the four-fold rate.

From Colson's point of view, the combination of increased usage and premium rates led to sticker shock for customers who reached the third tier. Some 13,680 households, or about 9 percent of the utility's 155,000 Seattle residential customers, were affected by last summer's third-tier rates. Colson said it is too soon to know how many will be affected this year.

Not everyone upset in Magnolia buys Colson's theory for why bills have mushroomed.

John Klinkam, for example, rejects the notion that he consumed, on average, nearly 500 gallons a day in June and July, and that he consumed less than 50 gallons a day for the previous billing cycle. He does not contest that he probably used all the water the city says he used; but he questions that he used it when the city said he did.

The distinction is important, because by billing high consumption in the summer period, (mid-May through mid-September), the city is sticking him with killer rates. Klinkam points to his brown lawn as evidence of the fact that he's not into irrigation. Further, he notes no one was at home for two weeks in June when he was in the hospital.

"They understated the previous two billing (cycles) and lumped everything together and boosted us," Klinkam said. When he's complained to water officials, Klinkham said, he's gotten "a song and a dance" about how his "meter reading is correct."

Colson acknowledged "a sporadic history" in Klinkam's case and said his meter was swapped out earlier this month. She said the utility would not press Klinkam to pay up until more time had passed and the new meter had a chance to measure his consumption.

Another customer, George Sundborg, saw his water use for June and July climb 900 percent over the same period last year. Sundborg acknowledges he has used more water because his 97-year-old terminally ill wife is at home and is receiving round-the-clock care from nurses. He knew he was consuming more water as a result, but he did not think it was of such a magnitude.

"The big thing that has hurt is the third-tier rate," he said. Almost $500 of his $656.74 bill for the period ending July 24 was linked to third-tier charges.

Colson said it is possible that the utility may be able to justify a hardship discount for Sundborg, who has lived in his home for 31 years and said he "has never had a bill like that."

Oaksmith said he knows of 15 to 20 neighbors who are upset about high water bills. But Colson maintains that a review of the records of cases shows that, in most cases, the bills appear justified based on past summer "usage patterns" relating to lawn irrigation and gardening.

She said call volumes were down overall this summer compared with last. But she said there has been a scattering of calls from residents throughout the city upset with high bills and third-tier questions. A majority of the Magnolia customers whose consumption histories she has reviewed received "third-tier" notification letters last year, meaning they were using at a high rate, she said.

Colson thinks water usage crept back up this year because the city last summer emphasized the need to conserve, "and that's not true this year." In fact, the reservoirs are in great shape, about "2 feet above normal" for this time of year, said George Schneider, Seattle Public Utilities' water-resource manager.

In a sense, the utility's failure to keep the conservation message going after it ratcheted up rates was deceptive, Sundborg asserted. "The city led people astray," he said.

As a protest, Oaksmith has paid only half his bill, "but I'll probably wind up having to pay it all," he said.

Peter Lewis: 206-464-2217 or plewis@seattletimes.com.