By ROTA L. KNOTT
Worcester County staff detailed the procedures for appealing water and wastewater bills during a Dec. 2 meeting of the Worcester County Commissioners, responding to a growing number of questions from residents, particularly in Ocean Pines, about unexplained spikes in usage and concerns about the accuracy of their quarterly bills.
Commissioner Chip Bertino, who represents the Ocean Pines district, said he has recently received numerous inquiries from customers who are unsure how to challenge their bills or understand the review process. He said he has fielded questions and concerns about appeal process for individual regarding amount of usage on bills, prompting him to ask county staff to explain publicly how an appeal question is handled.
Quinn Dittrich, the county’s enterprise fund controller, provided the first overview. He said ratepayers should contact either the county treasurer’s office or the Department of Public Works if they want to appeal the water and wastewater usage charges that appear on their quarterly bills. Dittrich emphasized that customers should reach out even if their usage appears unusually low or inconsistent, as that too could be a sign of a problem.
The first step, he said, is for the county to send someone out to examine the meter on-site. During that inspection, if staff find that “the meter is its continuously moving” even when no water is running in the home, that is strong evidence that “was a leak.” Customers who later confirm there was a leak and provide documentation can receive an adjustment, he said. Customers can provide an invoice and show a leak was repaired, then the county would typically reduce their invoice down to the amount typically would be without a leak.
Dittrich added that if a ratepayer calls the treasurer’s office, staff there will immediately notify Public Works. “Someone goes out and checks meter,” he said, reiterating that an on-site inspection is always the first step.
Bertino then asked what happens when a meter is found to be functioning normally but the customer still believes the bill is unreasonably high. If the water meter is found to be working fine but the customer still thinks their bill is excessive and it doesn’t resolve issue about a high bill, what’s the next step? he asked.
Dittrich explained that the next option is for the customer to submit an appeal to the county’s grievance committee. That committee, he said, is comprised of the enterprise fund controller, public works director, treasurer’s office, and the water and wastewater superintendent.
Public Works Director Dallas Baker elaborated on the committee’s typical review process and what might trigger an adjustment. He said his office examines a customer’s historical water use when determining whether the reported usage makes sense. If a customer has historically been using 10,000 gallons and suddenly they are using 1 million gallons, that may indicate a significant leak. “Those are places where we can do adjustments,” he said.
Bertino pressed further, asking how often unusually high bills turn out to be caused by faulty meters. He asked if more often than not it is a faulty meter.
Baker replied that the answer is generally no. Most high-use issues originate from leaks. He noted that it is often due to water leaks, like toilets running or someone thought they turned faucet off and didn’t. In fact, he said, “majority of time it’s a leak.”
Baker clarified that in most cases, the source of the problem is on the property owner’s side of the meter. “Most of the time it’s behind the meter,” he said, adding that the customer is responsible for those repairs. Still, he urged customers not to rush into hiring a plumber before the county inspects the meter. He encourages customers not to spend money on hiring a plumber until they contact public works.
There have been instances where a leak was discovered on the county’s side of the system, Baker said. In those situations, “if the problem is on our side we will pay to fix it,” although he cautioned that “they are not going to get your money back from the county” if the customers has the repair made on the county’s side of the meter.
Bertino also asked about leaks that are not immediately apparent, such as underground breaks that are only discovered when a high bill arrives.
Baker acknowledged that this can happen, especially if the pipe is in a crawlspace or buried. “It’s not going to be obvious,” he said. He noted that “more times than not” the issue turns out to be “toilet leak where value has stuck,” adding that customers would be shocked by the amount of water wasted.
When Bertino asked how many gallons a toilet can leak in an hour, Baker estimated roughly 60 gallons. Bertino reacted by saying “that’s a heck of a lot more” and “Who knew a leaky toilet will use that much water?”
Baker said the county’s new meters may help identify these hidden issues sooner. The upgraded units allow staff to view up to 90 days of usage history. For example, he said the data can show that at 2 a.m. a house was using 120 gallons and that is evidence of a problem. He added that “there are a lot of times where you’re finding leaks with the new software” associated with the new meters.
Returning to the appeals process, Bertino asked what happens once the grievance committee receives a case. Baker said requests typically arrive by email from the treasurer’s office or Public Works, each containing a specific request to review a situation. Bertino asked whether ratepayers ever meet directly with staff. Baker responded that not typically. Typically they are contacted by phone, but if they would like to meet the county will do so. He added that “most times is a favorable response to rate payer concerns” when a case reaches the committee.
Bertino then asked about next steps if a customer remains dissatisfied after the grievance committee’s decision. County staff said the matter can then be escalated to the commissioners for review.
Baker noted that customers can also request formal meter testing. If the meter is working properly, the customer pays for the test. If it is faulty, the county covers the cost. He said the typical fee is “$60 or more,” with larger commercial meters costing more than $100 to test. He also noted that the county does not have the ability to test larger meters in-house.
Commissioner Ted Elder recalled that “we had one come before the commissioners several years ago,” an appeal from Ocean Pines,” illustrating that escalated appeals have precedent.
Bertino said such calls “have been a little more frequent over the last month and half” after customers received bills reflecting the county’s rate increase.
Commissioner Joe Mitrecic contrasted Worcester County’s system with that of a neighboring jurisdiction. He said that in the Town of Ocean City “there is no appeal process for water and wastewater usage bills.” He added, “If it goes through the meter, you pay,” noting that if usage totals 1 million gallons that’s what the customer has to pay.
The commissioners took no formal action on Dec. 2 but said the review was intended to help clarify the process for the public.
Rota Knott 