CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Clayton County homeowner says she is fighting to get a credit for a high water bill she believes is the result of a faulty meter, not excessive water use.
Patricia Mahone told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln she has taken multiple steps to resolve the issue, including hiring plumbers and requesting inspections, but says the county continues to charge her hundreds of dollars each month.
Mahone says her water bill, which typically runs in the double digits, suddenly surged to nearly $400 earlier this year.
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“I can’t afford that, and I don’t know what it’s going to be next month,” Mahone said.
Concerned there could be a hidden leak, Mahone hired two plumbers to inspect her property. Both reported finding no leaks. She says Clayton County also inspected the property earlier this year and reached the same conclusion.
Despite those findings, the charges have continued.
“Even when I had problems with my toilets, my bill never went over $20,” Mahone said. “We just feel like we’re being robbed.”
Channel 2 Action News observed Mahone’s water meter for about 10 minutes and saw no movement, suggesting no active water use at the time.
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Mahone says the Clayton County Water Authority returned to her home Wednesday and told her the high bill must be related to a water leak, despite earlier inspections that found none.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to Clayton County for comment, but had not received a response as of publication.
Mahone says she knows of other homeowners experiencing similar billing issues and hopes the county will correct the problem before her bill rises even higher.
“I thought I was doing all the right things,” she said. “But the bills just keep coming.”
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