City of Winnipeg changes tune on couple's water bill from frozen pipe threat
CBC News | Posted: February 19, 2015 10:13 PM | Last Updated: February 20, 2015
City told them not to worry, compensation would come
A Winnipeg man is frustrated he had to go to the media in order to get a resolution to a dispute over his water bill.
Daniel Guenther left his tap running at the city's request during last year's frozen pipe crisis. The city had assured him the cost of the excess water would be covered but he still ended up with a $636 bill.
But after his story aired on CBC News Thursday night, Guenther got a call from the city, telling him the rest of his bill would be covered.
“I find it pretty convenient that suddenly the day that we talked to CBC and the day that we shared our story with other Winnipeggers that suddenly the city was able to review the account,” he said.
The city said it is still dealing with a handful of disputed water bills but has reimbursed most.
Moira Geer, manager of finance at the water and waste department, told CBC News about 5,000 customer accounts were credited for a total of $1.2 million in the aftermath of the frozen pipes crisis.
Guenther said the fight with the city was extremely frustrating but encourages anyone else who is having an issue to keep fighting.
"You know it's just been, 'Yeah, we'll look into it,' and then a few days later, 'Nope, you know, we're not doing anything about it,'" he said.
"It feels like kind of a slap in the face cause they're saying, 'No, you have to pay this,' when it's clear that this charge is for the frozen water pipes."
Guenther and his husband Chris's St. James home was one of 7,300 the city identified as being at risk of frozen pipes in 2014.
The couple obeyed the city's order to keep their tap running, right down to the directive of making sure the stream of water was the width of straw.
"I remember having a straw there," Guenther explained. "It was just enough to keep it going but not enough for it to be a full stream."
The couple also made sure to give monthly meter readings for the full five months their tap stayed on.
When they got a $1,400 dollar water bill they weren't worried, because they had been told they would be compensated.
"The city was reassuring. They kept saying: 'you know don't worry just keep paying what your normal bill is, everything will get taken care of later,'" said Guenther.
They were eventually compensated but they only received half of what they expected.
After months of going back and forth with the City of Winnipeg Water and Waste Department, the couple turned to the CBC to tell their story.
The city refused to comment on the case, telling CBC News that a high bill isn't necessarily because of running water to prevent frozen pipes.
"You might even have a plumbing leak in your home that's going to contribute to a really high bill" said Geer.
Guenther found the city's response to his issue to be baffling
"Our water bill for an entire year has never been more than $600," he said. "Where would that water go? You know we didn't start showering more or using a lot more water."