When Keith Coffin noticed his water bill had skyrocketed from its usual $150 to $475 last year, he was shocked.
The Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue resident insisted his family hasn’t changed their water consumption habits.
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In fact, he believes they used even less water than usual in 2016.
“I had my eldest son move out,” Coffin explained.
“The meter did not match the bill.”
He says he reached out to city officials, who told him they would look into the situation.
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The company hired by the city, Compteurs d’eau du Québec, told Global News a mistake in the water meter reading is possible.
Company president Daniel Langlois explained if they notice a house has a significant increase or decrease compared to previous years, they can send someone to check the meter again.
Langlois also noted that if an employee reading the meter makes many mistakes, they won’t be brought back the following year.
Coffin isn’t the only resident in the small city, in Montreal’s West Island, to be shocked upon seeing their water bills.
Many residents in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue are upset over their rising bills, saying they’re being overcharged and they’ve been kept in the dark as to why and how this could happen — especially since the city charges based on water usage.
READ MORE: ‘We’re leaking money’: Toronto missing out on $26M in outstanding water bills
Coffin told Global News he believes the company hired by the city to check the water meters reads them incorrectly.
City officials in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue refused an interview with Global News, but said if residents show proof of a mistake, it will be corrected.
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