Ontario woman shocked by $6,200 bill for water she didn't know was being used
An Ontario woman is shocked to be stuck with a water bill for more than $6,200 because of a leaky toilet.
Daniel Stronach helps his sister Georgia Stronach, who lives Aurora, because she has health issues. He manages her home ownership matters and utility bills.
They both got a huge surprise in January when they got a water bill for $3,864, which was linked to a leaky toilet.
"We had no identifiable knowledge that something was out of whack" said Daniel Stronach who added "I think it might have been a bathroom in the basement and the basement is not used really."
But they were even more surprised when the next water bill had risen to $6,227 after they thought the problem was resolved.
They were alerted by the water department with the Town of Aurora in mid-December that there appeared to be a potential leak in the home, but by the time they found out and fixed the toilet issue almost three weeks had passed and they were into a new billing cycle.
When Daniel Stronach called to complain on his sister’s behalf he was told they had to pay up.
"We have to pay the bill anyway, because if you don't pay it, they will put a lien on your house," said Daniel Stronach.
When CTV News Toronto reached out to the Town of Aurora, Manager of Communications Carley Smith said in a statement “Water and wastewater billings are issued quarterly and are based on water consumed as registered on your water meter. The Town reached out to the contact on file in December to alert the resident of a potential water leak.”
“Water customers are responsible for all water used, as recorded by their water meter. This includes water consumed by a resident and caused by a leak. The Town has been in touch with the resident to offer payment plan options as well information on other support programs such as the seniors tax deferral program,” said Smith.
Aurora bills for water every three months, and Daniel Stronach feels there should be a mechanism in place to warn customers if they're using a lot more water than they normally do.
"It's almost like a credit card. If you have oddities they immediately pick up and call you. These situations where it's a three month delay. That's crazy," said Daniel Stronach.
Aurora has advice on it's website on how to check for toilet leaks such as adding food colouring in the tank and waiting to see if the colour leaks into the bowl.
While Daniel Stronach was hopeful he could help his sister Georgia lower the $6,227 water bill, the best officials can do is allow her to pay in monthly installments over the next 12 to 15 months.
In addition to leaky toilets, running taps are the second most common reason for high water bills. If you have a bathroom in a basement you rarely use you may want to shut off the water supply to it which can prevent leaks and unexpected big bills.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre marches with soldier protesting COVID-19 mandates ahead of Canada Day
Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre joined the final leg of a march led by a Canadian soldier charged for speaking out against COVID-19 vaccine requirements that has sparked promises -- and fears -- of a new wave of protests in the capital.

Convoy organizer Lich to spend at least 5 more nights in custody
Ottawa protest organizer Tamara Lich will spend at least five more nights in custody in Ottawa after she was arrested in Alberta for allegedly breaching bail conditions.
Approximately 675K eligible to vote in Conservative leadership race: party
The Conservative Party of Canada says approximately 675,000 members will be eligible to vote in this year's leadership race.
Omicron cousin BA.5 predicted to cause nearly 70 per cent of COVID-19 cases by Canada Day
Researchers examining the threat of emerging COVID-19 strains predict Omicron BA.5 will account for nearly 70 per cent of cases in much of the country by Canada Day.
Supreme Court says expanded rape shield laws are constitutional
The Supreme Court of Canada says the expanded rules to further prevent a sexual assault complainant's past from being used against them in a trial are 'constitutional in their entirety.'
Stocks are down, but here's why experts say you shouldn't panic
As stocks continue to slump, it can be easy to let your emotions take over if you've got money invested in the market. But experts agree that there's no need to panic if you're invested in the right type of portfolio with the right level of risk.
Health Canada says baby formula shipments coming, but supply to remain limited during summer
More than a month after Canada reported a shortage of baby formula for allergic infants, Health Canada says supplies will continue to be limited during the summer even with new shipments on the horizon.
Importing dogs from more than 100 countries to be banned in Canada
Animal rescue groups are criticizing a new policy by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that will ban the import of dogs from more than 100 countries.
WATCH | Physician expects new COVID-19 variants every few months: 'Whole world is a petri dish'
An emergency room physician in Toronto is warning that COVID-19 variants will continue to 'mutate endlessly' as the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are poised to become the dominant strains of the virus.