I think some neighborhood kids played a very expensive prank on me.

[LegatoRedrivers]

So here's my story -

I've been in this house for over two years now, and my water bills generally run about $30 to $35 a month. I always pay on time, and I always overpay (no matter what I owe, I cut them a check for $100), so I generally only have to pay every three months or so.

I get a water bill in the mail and check it to see, and there was my $55 credit from a previous overpayment... which after applied left my bill at $370.

I immediately went around the house checking for leaks, found nothing. So I went outside to check the spigots, and found that one of them was turned on! Like I said, it's been pretty rainy and I don't spend a significant amount of time in my backyard. The end of the hose was left right next to a drain pipe that usually has a visible water level, so I didn't notice anything amiss.

Before someone says it, I'm certain that I didn't leave the hose on. I'm not the type to water my lawn at the worst of times, and it's been pretty rainy the past month. I never use the outside spigots for anything, really; and I'm absolutely sure I haven't used them in the past couple of months. I live in the house alone, so I don't have a room-mate, significant other or kids living here that could have left it on by mistake.

I know it sounds paranoid, but the only thing I can think of is someone went into my back yard and turned it on. And of course I get the bill on a Saturday, so I can't call the utility office until Monday.

As far as I know, I haven't done anything recently to tick off any neighborhood kids and make me a target.

Has anything like this happened to anyone here before? Any ideas on what happens next or if there's anything I can do? I don't want to screw the water company, but I don't want to get stuck with a water bill that's over 10 times what it usually is, either. I was laid off recently when my business moved to Utah, and haven't even gotten my unemployment yet, so I have no idea how I could afford to pay up if it comes to that.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Yep, it happens. I had a house in Terre Haute that backed up to an apartment complex. I received a water bill for several hundred dollars one month, even though my average bill was more like $30. I simply refused to pay it and he water company waived the bill. Best I can guess is that the apartment complex decided my spigot was convenient to their swimming pool. I took the handle off my outside spigots after that.

 

[CitiusFortius]

That's a tough one, feel for you, but it might be one of those cases where if somebody loans you something and gets stolen or damaged under your watch it's still on you.

I hope the company is understanding but if not it's just one of those things.

Not sure what your plumbing situation is, but when I redid mine a few years back I put shut off valves in my basement to both spigots. I turn them on in late may and off early September.

If it becomes a recurring problem that can be a long term solution.

Either way, good luck to you.

 

[CathyInBlue]

This is why I want to put my sillcocks on a manifold circuit. When it's time to do some gardening, turn on the sillcock circuit, then turn on the individual sillcock I need to use. Use it, turn it off, and then turn off all of the sillcocks. Ditto for outdoor duplex outlets on the breaker panel. If anyone thinks it's funny to open one of my sillcocks or plug into my power, the joke'll be on them.

 

[CitiusFortius]

If anyone thinks it's funny to open one of my sillcocks..

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Probably the best sentence ever.

 

[CathyInBlue]

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Sillcock

 

[CitiusFortius]

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Sillcock

Yeah, and Bangkok is the name of a real city. It's still freakin' hilarious....

 

[mcolford]

Contact your utility department. Explain the situation, and see if something can be worked out. Especially being around Halloween, Im sure this isnt the first time its happened, and if your water bill has been consistent for a long time, this sudden surge shows something happened.

Just a thought.

 

[daddymikey1975]

I have kids that like to turn on my hose and play w/ it. Inside, I have a shutoff (for winter time and all) and I keep it turned off unless "I" need the hose, then I turn it back off. This way my kids don't turn it on and mess with it (or anyone else's kids for that matter)..

Sorry to hear about this. Give them a call and see if they'll work with ya.

 

[! twitty]

Call the water company up and tell them what has happened. My sister left hers on and then called them and they said since it was extremely out of character of their normal bill they removed it.

 

[downzero]

If anyone thinks it's funny to open one of my sillcocks or plug into my power, the joke'll be on them.

It'd be funnier if you wired your outside 120 volt outlets to 220 volts (or better yet, a nice step up transformer and something even higher than that).

 

[rgrimm01]

We had a waterline come apart in the crawlspace a few years ago. The water dept adjusted the bill for sewer but we had to pay for the water. That was only right as it was not their problem.

I hope the WD works with you on this even if it is just to set up payments in lieu of disconnect. I too like the idea of an interior shutoff for the sillcocks.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

The outlets I use for outside are behind doors, one in the garage, one in the shed. The sillcocks are all on shutoffs, and I use ball valves for everything I put in. I can hear the water running if it's at a rate significant enough to matter.

 

[88GT]

I wouldn't hold your breath for relief from the water company. I've had the same plumber for almost 10 years now. I called one day to schedule some work and his wife/secretary said it would be up in the air for the next day or two because another client had a water line break under the slab. Of course, who knows there's a problem there until one receives the $1300 water bill. (Indianapolis Water, before they became a part of Citizens, used to read meters every other month and simply estimate the off month, so she potentially had nearly 2 months of constant leaking.) IWC refused to write off any of the charges for the water supply.

But I understand the frustration. One of my doubles is not metered separately for water: one inlet, one outlet. Because of this, water charges are built into rent. With both sides occupied, bills have never exceeded $50. We get a bill for over $100 one month. Seems the tenant was using the "free" water to let all her friends use my double as a laundromat.

And the occupants of the double next door (to the abovementioned property) have parked in MY yard to wash THEIR car with MY water. Needless to say, the interior shut-off valve was closed, and when we re-plumbed to CPVC, we eliminated the outside spigot all together.

On the other hand, when I was in college, my advisor was one of the profs accompanying an out-of-country class. I house-sat and kept the yard mowed while he was gone. One of my passes with the lawnmower caught the handle and turned it enough to open the valve. I had no idea until I went for my next pass a minute later and the area was saturated. Had that been my last pass, who knows how long it would have been running.

 

[churchmouse]

So here's my story -

I've been in this house for over two years now, and my water bills generally run about $30 to $35 a month. I always pay on time, and I always overpay (no matter what I owe, I cut them a check for $100), so I generally only have to pay every three months or so.

I get a water bill in the mail and check it to see, and there was my $55 credit from a previous overpayment... which after applied left my bill at $370.

I immediately went around the house checking for leaks, found nothing. So I went outside to check the spigots, and found that one of them was turned on! Like I said, it's been pretty rainy and I don't spend a significant amount of time in my backyard. The end of the hose was left right next to a drain pipe that usually has a visible water level, so I didn't notice anything amiss.

Before someone says it, I'm certain that I didn't leave the hose on. I'm not the type to water my lawn at the worst of times, and it's been pretty rainy the past month. I never use the outside spigots for anything, really; and I'm absolutely sure I haven't used them in the past couple of months. I live in the house alone, so I don't have a room-mate, significant other or kids living here that could have left it on by mistake.

I know it sounds paranoid, but the only thing I can think of is someone went into my back yard and turned it on. And of course I get the bill on a Saturday, so I can't call the utility office until Monday.

As far as I know, I haven't done anything recently to tick off any neighborhood kids and make me a target.

Has anything like this happened to anyone here before? Any ideas on what happens next or if there's anything I can do? I don't want to screw the water company, but I don't want to get stuck with a water bill that's over 10 times what it usually is, either. I was laid off recently when my business moved to Utah, and haven't even gotten my unemployment yet, so I have no idea how I could afford to pay up if it comes to that.

If this is here in Indy you will pay. I have owned rental property and a few were empty for a while. The kids got in and did the normal silly crap. no real vandalism but they turned on the bathtub faucet and it must have ran for a solid week or more. We were getting the houses ready to sell so the utility's were on and in my name. They will put a lien on the property for the sewage part of the bill. They did that to me and I had to clear up a nearly $450.00 bill before I could sell the house.

 

[CathyInBlue]

It'd be funnier if you wired your outside 120 volt outlets to 220 volts (or better yet, a nice step up transformer and something even higher than that).

Ouch! You're evil! I like you. You can be my friend.

 

[citizenkane]

Yeah I've went round and round with citizens water. I got a $460 water bill at a vacant house and my neighbor had just installed a new pool. They more or less told me tough ****. Then when I turned the valve in the meter pit it broke. The valve turned the water off but it was broke from there to the meter. I would figure this would be them as it would leak and not turn the meter. I called in and the only option is for emergency leaks. I selected that option and the guy told me if it was off it wasn't an emergency and hung up on me. I guess I'm going to have to open the valve and call them back lol.
They are just not very helpful.

 

[kjf40]

Yeah, and Bangkok is the name of a real city. It's still freakin' hilarious....

lol.....

 

[kjf40]

I have kids that like to turn on my hose and play w/ it. Inside, I have a shutoff (for winter time and all) and I keep it turned off unless "I" need the hose, then I turn it back off. This way my kids don't turn it on and mess with it (or anyone else's kids for that matter)..

Sorry to hear about this. Give them a call and see if they'll work with ya.

This is the way to go right here, nothing else needed.

I have these as well, keep them off all the time....only turn them on when i need them.

As far as those who cannot, like someone here said...take the handle off.

 

[Dead Duck]

This is why I want to put my sillcocks on a manifold circuit. When it's time to do some gardening, turn on the sillcock circuit, then turn on the individual sillcock I need to use. Use it, turn it off, and then turn off all of the sillcocks. Ditto for outdoor duplex outlets on the breaker panel. If anyone thinks it's funny to open one of my sillcocks or plug into my power, the joke'll be on them.

CathyInBlue said "Sillcock" 5 times.

- Reported
- Reported
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- Reported
- Reported