DeKalb County

DeKalb woman says her water bill skyrocketed nearly 2,000% with no explanation

LITHONIA, Ga. — A DeKalb County woman is baffled after she says her water bill skyrocketed to more than $900 without an explanation.

Marie Metellus told Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln that this month she received a bill totaling $914.22.

Metellus says she hired a plumber to check her property, but he could not find a leak.

“They came out and he looked everywhere, he said there’s no leak,” Metellus said.

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Metellus told Lincoln that she even shuts the water off to her home every day in an attempt to keep her bill as low as possible.

DeKalb County said they are aware of Metellus’ account. According to their records, she has had a constant leak on her property since October of 2021.

Metellus says she didn’t start receiving bills in the triple digits until September of this year.

The county says they’ve checked her water meter twice to see if it was defective. They said it is not.

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The county says they’re working with her on finding a solution.

“I’m going to pay the way I can pay, how I can pay,” she said.

The county says underground leaks causing high bills aren’t uncommon. They say if homeowner questions their bill, they should dispute it. They say the homeowner should still pay on their account and always get a second opinion from a plumber to make sure no leaks are present on your property.

The county says since Metellus has officially disputed the bill, they will continue to investigate why her bills are so high.

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