KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The next time you get a water bill in the city of Kalamazoo, you may want to check what you are paying, and if it’s a lot higher than your previous bill, you may have sprung a leak.
The Kalamazoo Water System has just gotten a new policy approved that will let customers off the hook for big water bills caused by undetected or new water leaks.
Utilities director Jim Baker says it’s triggered if your bill suddenly jumps by 50% or more over one billing period.
“If you had for example, a $200 water bill, the policy would kick on, once you exceeded like a $300 water bill that was due to leaks.”
A serious leak could cause bills to spike thousands of dollars.
“So that’s a big step that we’re taking to ensure that we’re not going to burden anybody without due or unnecessary cause.”
He says if a leak occurs, they can help identify what the problem is,
“It could be from a toilet, it could be a burst pipe, it could be any number of things or factors that could create a bill that you didn’t anticipate, that shows up in the mail.”
But he says unless it’s a city line that is leaking, the responsibility to cover the cost of the repairs is up to the property owner.
A leak can occur at any time of the year but are more likely during the winter months because of freezing pipes, that can burst.
With city commissioners expected to soon approve higher water rates again, any leaks you can avoid will save you additional money.
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