CORNELIUS, N.C. -- Water bills you have to see to believe! Bills that were once 40 bucks are now as high as $500.
Angry customers took their concerns straight to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Department Wednesday night for some answers.
Debbie Barteldt is still sticker shocked.
"The bill was $240," she said.
Debbie's Charlotte Mecklenburg water bill went from an average of $45 to over $200. But Debbie says her family's water usage didn't change.
"This is the first high bill. It was $230. The next month was $250," she said.
Frustrated homeowners from the Lake Norman, Cornelius and Davidson areas packed a question and answer session with Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities. They wanted to ask "how?"
Meredith Fite and her husband moved here from California three years ago. They started seeing high water bills a few months ago.
"In July we had a bill that was $540," Meredith told us. She says she barely watered her lawn and doesn't own a swimming pool. Plus, she adds, only she and her husband live in the house and use the water.
CMUD Director Doug Bean says his department is not finding any irregularities or problems with water meters. They investigated 32 complaints, and 31 of those water meters reportedly worked perfectly. Bean encouraged the group to let them know when they find problems or questions with their bills. But many in the crowd said the agency is hard to reach, slow to respond and unwilling to help.
"There is something wrong with this and it's not my water usage," said Debbie.
Bean told the crowd that they'd continue investigating.
