Inside the billing glitch that overcharged 31,000 households for two years

For two years, a rounding error in the water utility's billing software quietly added between $3 and $11 to roughly 31,000 monthly bills, according to internal documents reviewed by The Daily Signal.

The documents, obtained through a public records request, show that a billing analyst first flagged the discrepancy in March 2024 in an email titled 'Tier 2 rounding — possible overcharge.'

That email was forwarded to three managers. None replied for 11 days. When a reply came, it asked whether the fix 'could wait until the new system goes live.'

The new system did not go live for another 19 months.

In total, the utility collected an estimated $4.6 million it was not entitled to, the documents show. Refund checks began arriving last week with no explanation beyond 'billing adjustment.'

Utility spokesperson Tom Bradley said the delay was 'regrettable' and that all affected households will receive refunds with interest by December.

Three council members have now called for an independent audit of the utility's billing practices going back to 2020.

The Daily Signal will publish the full set of internal emails on Friday.