$3-million water bill shocker

For over a year, Moesha Lecky has been ensnared in a nightmarish battle with the National Water Commission (NWC) over a mind-blowing, $3-million water bill -- an ordeal that has left her emotionally and financially drained, with no resolution in sight.

In July 2023, Lecky was hit with a jaw-dropping bill claiming her household consumed an unimaginable 4.9 million litres of water. The resulting charge? A staggering $2,973,406.07. To put this into perspective, that's enough water to fill an astonishing 210 trucks, each carrying 22,712 litres.

"This bill is completely ridiculous," Lecky exclaimed, recounting how the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) upheld the NWC's claims and demanded she pay the exorbitant amount.

Adding insult to injury, the NWC disconnected Lecky's water supply last December -- just days before Christmas. This heartless act came three months after the OUR concluded its investigation, siding with the NWC. According to the regulators, the utility's inspector claimed to have witnessed construction work and workers at the premises, alleging the water was used for building a concrete fence.

Lecky has vehemently denied these claims, explaining that the materials spotted on her property were remnants from construction completed back in 2022. "No construction work was happening," she insisted. "The gravel was even covering the meter, and no one ever saw workers in my yard because the construction was finished long before."

The OUR pointed to Bureau of Standards tests that certified the water meter's accuracy and concluded that the billing was justified. However, Lecky remains unconvinced, describing the experience as an unjust assault on her livelihood.

"It's literally impossible for a three-person household to use that much water," she argued. "At the time, my son was only three years old, and both my husband and I work full-time. We're not even home most of the day. How could we use that much water?"

Her household's typical monthly usage is around 14,000 litres, costing less than $4,000. The bills for the months before and after July 2023 reflected this normal pattern, making the astronomical charge a glaring anomaly.

"That one bill is almost my entire annual salary," Lecky said, her voice breaking. "We can't afford it. We have a child who needs to go to school, a mortgage, and other bills to pay."

Her struggles don't end there. With no water at home, Lecky is forced to make gruelling trips to her mother's house twice a week, hauling water four times a day from 10 minutes away.

"This has been the most frustrating experience of my life," she admitted, fighting back tears. "There are nights I can't even sleep. It's so unfair, because there is no way we used that much water, and nobody is willing to help fix this."

Desperate to restore their water supply, Lecky's husband made a bold move, paying nearly $500,000 towards the bill in hopes of securing a payment plan. But the NWC shattered their hopes, demanding at least half of the outstanding balance before reconnecting the service.

"I am a law-abiding person, and I tried to meet them half-way," Lecky said, her frustration palpable. "But even after paying half a million dollars, no one has reached out to try and find a real solution to this problem."

Adding to her despair, Lecky is excluded from the NWC's current amnesty programme, which offers 50 per cent or more discounts on accounts disconnected for more than six months. Since her water was cut off just last December, she doesn't qualify.

"The fact that the disconnection was only made this December means I don't even qualify. I am desperate for a resolution," Lecky pleaded.