LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Amid the ongoing push to conserve water in Las Vegas, many of us were hit with bills this summer that were higher than we'd ever seen before and included excessive use fees for water use that may not have seemed excessive.
Some locals who reached out to us here at Channel 13 couldn't afford their bills, including one couple who asked "Darcy, what's the deal?" after a leak left them in a financial hole.
The now-patched-up pipe in Zamir Deen's front yard nearly cost him a lot more than money when he opened his August water bill.
"I stopped breathing! I said, Oh my gosh! What am I gonna do with this?"
Zamir and his wife are retired. They live in the northwest valley and spend much of their summer indoors.
"As hot as it is, we have no reason to come out and check on things, so we only found out by accident."
What Zamir found was a substantial leak in the couple's front yard.
"It was like a flow that would be equivalent to a fire hose," Zamir described, and it sent their water bill soaring.
"Our bill typically is anywhere from about $20 to $80 a month depending on the season. So, when we got the bill for over $700, I said, oh my gosh!"
Zamir had already repaired the leak, "But I still had to come up with over $700 for the water bill."
"And can you afford that?" I asked.
"I definitely could not. It basically means whether we should pay our mortgage, buy our food, or just pay $700 and do none of those," Zamir said.
He called the Las Vegas Valley Water District to see what his options were.
"And that of course got me nowhere," he said.
The Deens live on a fixed Social Security income and say all the Water District offered was a payment plan.
"And I sent them an initial payment of $397, which I had to charge on one of my credit cards because I don't have that kind of leeway in our cash flow to sustain and support that kind of additional expense," he said.
Feeling stuck, he began searching for help.
"Coincidentally, I was watching your program and I said, you know what? I told my wife, why don't I just bring this to Darcy's attention? And I think that did the big trick."
I asked the Water District what's the deal, and found there are indeed other options for folks who find themselves in the same boat as the Deens.
The Water District has a leak adjustment program Zamir says no one previously told him about.
So, here's the deal with that: single-family residential customers who incur an exceptionally high bill due to a leak may qualify for the leak adjustment program after fixing the leak.
Also, if the leak results in excessive use charges, you may be able to get those charges reversed if you make repairs promptly.
Zamir ended up getting his $730 bill reduced by nearly $500, bringing it down to just under $240. Since he'd already paid that and more, the Water District told him the overage will serve as a credit toward his upcoming bills.
"And I said, oh thank god! There is justice in the world," Zamir said.
Leaks must be fixed promptly to save water and money.
If you've got a leak you've been hesitant to fix because of a high repair bill, need help finding a suspected leak, or you're struggling to pay off a high bill due to a leak, you may qualify for help.
Click here to learn about the LVVWD Customer Assistance Programs.
