More High Water Bill Woes

Hari Krishna Burlakoti isn’t the only one complaining about a high water meter reading; one lady is upset over $6,000 bill

   When he went to complain about a $15,601.46 water bill, Hari Krishna Burlakoti said he was told that the water meter never makes a mistake and that he needed to pay the bill.

   At a recent meeting, selectmen seemed to side with the 31-year-old first-time homeowner that the Water Department needed to take another look at the bill and that something indeed was wrong –especially after his previous bill was $187.

   Selectmen have asked Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree and finance director Wendy Hatch to brief them on the situation by the next meeting, which is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 17.

   Board of Selectmen Chair Anthony Cogliano said yesterday that he’s learned of another town resident who may have been overcharged for water because of erroneous readings on her water meter. “I have another person coming in on the 17th (of January), ” Cogliano said yesterday.

   “She has a $6,800.00 water bill which again is absurd.  I don’t want these types of matters on the BOS (Board of Selectmen) agenda however, when they get no response or a response saying there’s nothing we can do you owe the bill…. that aggravates me off to no end.  It’s quite obvious there’s something wrong and we need to help these people,” he said.

   Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member William S. Brown said he feels the pain of the two residents who are facing exorbitant water bills. He received a $1,075 water bill last year — nearly double the one ($581.97) he received earlier. It irked Brown when he learned he would be paying $2,150 for the year — more than twice the average annual bill because of billing that was based on the use of a busted water meter,

   “With the kind of exorbitant bills these people are getting, you would see puddles or hear running water,” Brown said. “I got to believe something is wrong. It’s absolutely crazy that this is happening,” he said.