Man gets big water bill from empty apartment

Despite his apartment sitting unoccupied for two months, a Hubei Province man says he was hit with a heavy water bill that building maintenance workers are making him pay despite admitting to faulty meters being installed.

The man surnamed Hu said he’s being charged 250 yuan ($ 38) for 91 cubic meters of water even though he and his wife had moved to their new apartment in Wuhan.

The 27- year- old said the water meter reading from their previous residence, which they still own, has been rising fast, jumping from 84 to 91 cubic meters in only a few days.

In comparison, Hu and his wife said they have only used 16 cubic meters between May and July in another same- sized apartment.

“Nobody is using the water. All the taps are shut off . How can water consumption in an empty house be higher than in an occupied one,” Hu said.

Maintenance workers at Hu’s building the water meters, which were recently changed in the building, are especially sensitive and sometimes result in reading errors.

“When the valve isn’t shut tight or there is air fl ow in the pipes, the meter’s dial would rotate,” a building maintenance worker told the Chutian Metropolis Daily later.

The maintenance department added that they have alerted the local water utility of the situation, but still require that Hu pay his water bill. The dispute has not been resolved.