Water bill woes with the Cleveland Division of Water are getting a new spotlight after a NewsChannel 5 investigation.
Our continuing coverage included new frustrations, a response from the water department, and a city leader who said he is definitely going to look into problems.
David Pencak from Lyndhurst doesn't water down his emotions. "The frustration level is probably the highest frustration level that I've had dealing with any organization at any level," he told us. He explained that the water department switched out his meter a few years ago, but didn't turn it on. He and his wife noticed no bills for a while and called to see why. He said he was trying to do the right thing but got the runaround from the city and bills totaling nearly $1,700 that needed to be paid right away.
"30 days, demand notice, instantly going to turn off the water," Pencak recalled.
We have heard from additional people who called the billing process "disgusting" and were frustrated with what they called a "pay whatever they say or else" mentality of the department.
"The way they treat you is so unfair, so unjust, so belittling so aggravating, so demeaning, that your frustration levels get to a point where you just don't know where else to reach and this is why I gave you a call," Pencak said. We, in turn, reached out to city leaders.
"We get numerous complaints on a weekly basis--people have issues with their bills, but we've always been able to find a solution," said Terrell Pruitt. He's the chair of the Utilities Committee for Cleveland City Council. He told us he isn't aware of any big problems at the water department. "If there's something that still needs to be refined or something that needs to be updated, that's something that can be looked into as well," said Pruitt. We asked him if he was committed to looking into this? "Yes."
Pencak told us he is willing to pay for fair charges, but one conversation with a water representative was hard to swallow. "He said 'I don't have to talk to you.'' We asked how that made him feel? "More than angry."
Division of Water reps said they need some time to look into Pencak's case. And in response to our investigation, reps told us they are willing to talk to anyone to figure out a solution to water bill problems. They told us they do have written literature informing customers about their rights to have the Water Review Board take a closer look at their case.
However, our investigation revealed 44,000 shutoff notices only turned into 31 cases going before the board. Water reps said some of those are repeat notices and they work on customer service enhancements every day.
With that said, NewsChannel 5 found numerous people who had significant issues trying to get cases addressed. In fact, we, as a station, get calls nearly weekly from people upset with their water bills and the water department.
