In September 2018, Los Osos resident Lars Lindgren paid an inexplicably high water bill. Afterward, he made sure to do everything in his power to ensure it didn’t happen again. He locked his spigots; he consulted with his landscaper and plumber; he bought a new hot water heater.
That’s why, a year later, Lindgren was dismayed to see his August/September bill come in even higher than before—$1,212.50. The 80,036 gallons of water allegedly consumed marked a 650 percent increase above his usual use.
“To find this big spike again … we didn’t know what to think of it,” Lindgren told Los Osos CSD board members at a Nov. 7 meeting. “We’ve done a lot of things to make sure we’re not wasting water. … I was just very concerned and a little confused and frustrated.”
Lindgren wasn’t alone. Matthew Gellerman, who lives across town from Lindgren, also received a mysterious bill of $1,392.50 for the same billing cycle.
Both residents protested the high bills to the CSD board of directors.
“I know these situations are difficult, since there’s really no explanation where the water went,” Ron Munds, general manger of the Los Osos CSD, told his board. “In this case, there was really no indication of what happened here.”
CSD officials claim that their water meter readings are accurate. They found no leaks or issues that would suggest otherwise.
“I don’t think the meter is lying,” Director Matthew Fourcroy said. “I think the water … went somewhere, but obviously we’re not sure where.”
Board President Marshall Ochylski noted that Los Osos experiences “a regular September spike” on water bills that’s of concern to him.
“But nothing to this level,” he said. “I don’t know what to say. It seems bizarre that this has happened the last couple of Septembers.”
The board voted unanimously to offer a “middle ground” rate for both customers. While the exact amount wasn’t shared, Munds said the compromise would be somewhere in between the customers’ typical bill and the September anomalies.
Board members expressed sympathy for the customers, noting that they seemed to be trying their best to get to the bottom of the mystery.
“I don’t know what more they can do,” Director Vicki Milledge said. “I love a mystery, don’t get me wrong, but this one is just weird.” Δ
This article appears in Nov 21 – Dec 1, 2019.
That amount of water equals a gallon per minute, every minute of every day for two months. That’s a lot of water that someone would notice. Is it possible they aren’t reading the meter every other month but estimating usage and then once a year, in September, they read the meter and make up the annual difference? Sounds suspicious.
that’s not right. someone has found a way to irrigate or fill pools or something by stealing water. they should write off those people’s bills then they would be more motivated to figure it out. ask for daily meter readings August to October, the city should fund that too
Water costs here are Beyond ridiculous! Add to that the quality of water which is very poor. I recently boiled some eggs in an old-fashioned Pyrex glass pot. The water had a definite blue tint to it coming out if the tap and left terrible residue in the pot after boiling for just a couple of minutes. Then I cleaned out a brand new dehumidifier that had been used for about two hours before it stopped working. I found an exorbitant amount of sand and silt. For the prices we pay, they should be piping in fresh Evian water 😣