A Los Angeles homeowner is demanding answers after getting hit with a jaw-dropping water bill — and he suspects a nearby fire hydrant may be to blame.
Joshua Ward, whose family has lived for two generations at their home near Sunland Boulevard and Wornom Avenue, said he’s never seen anything close to the $10,000 charge.
Even during last year’s summer heat, Ward’s water bill averaged about $1,400. In April, it was $765, and by June, it had dropped to roughly $640.
He believes a nearby fire hydrant repair may have sent his latest bill through the roof.
Neighbors confirmed the water had been shut off several times during the work as the hydrant was moved farther up the street.
“They did the repairs as per procedure. You’re supposed to do what is called purging the line, of all the air, and I don’t believe they did that. Making weird noises… weird noises coming out of the faucets and everything,” Ward told FOX 11.
Ward, a plumber, believes crews failed to properly purge air from the pipes after completing the repairs, potentially causing his water meter to rack up charges for air instead of actual water.
“The way that meters work and the way that they read and track our usage is done by volume. And there’s a big difference between the volume of air going through your meter and the volume of water going through. Air will spin your meter at a very rapid rate compared to how water goes through,” he added.
Other residents in the neighborhood also reported higher-than-usual water bills, though none came close to Ward’s $10,395 shocker.
The dispute comes as Californians continue to grapple with some of the nation’s steepest utility costs. A new analysis found the Golden State has the highest electricity prices in the country — more than double the national average.
Amid the skyrocketing rates, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered the city’s Department of Water and Power to pause utility shutoffs for individuals unable to pay their bills.
“No LADWP customer who is unable to pay their residential bill will have their electricity or water turned off for the remainder of this year,” Bass said in a statement.
