TULSA, Okla. — Imagine you get a water bill that consistently costs the same for several months. You don’t think anything of it and you pay it.
Then one day you’re slapped with a thousand-dollar bill from the city, then your water gets shut off.
That’s the issue a north Tulsa mom told the Problem Solvers she’s battled this week.
“I got a (letter) that said that they hadn’t read it the last six to seven months, and so they were just sending me an average every month which I paid on time every month, never had any issues,” Desaray Whitehead said.
But in a twist, Whitehead then got an updated bill for $1,118.02 for all water services.
Whitehead thought that was still manageable, because a representative told her over the phone she could pay in installments over ten months.
“I set up the payment arrangement and they said they’re going to send a bill showing my first initial payment, and I never received that,” she said.
Instead, when the single mom of four woke her kids for school Tuesday, they received not a single drop of water coming from their faucets.
“They just came and took it all without no questions, nothing," Whitehead said. "They didn’t even leave anything on my door to let me know it was off.”
When she called, a representative told her City of Tulsa Utilities had to shut it off.
“She said that there was absolutely nothing she could do, that I have to pay eight hundred-something dollars to get it turned back on, plus they’re going to charge me for removing the meter and putting the meter back in.”
With nowhere else to turn, Whitehead called the Problem Solvers.
We called the city to get more clarification, and forwarded Whitehead’s information.
Then, in the middle of our interview City of Tulsa Utilities called back to admit they had made mistake.
Now Whitehead will pay back around 200 dollars for the next few months to make up for water actually used during the months her meter wasn’t being read.
“I have four children, we need our water. We have baths, we need to cook," she said.
"I mean, it’s a mess. It’s something that’s uncalled for, especially whenever I did my part.”
In a brief statement the City of Tulsa said the water was successfully restored at the Whitehead household Wednesday night, and Utilities is “continuing to work with (Whitehead) on payment options and help with any questions they may have.”
Whitehead said the best lesson for others is to always make sure to check your water bill to see if the meter was actually read or just estimated by your water provider.
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