Residents in Ky. town see drastic spike in water bill

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WKYT) - Residents in Georgetown and surrounding areas say they’re seeing higher water bills.

Emily Thompson said her bill shot up nearly $200 in just one month.

“Honestly at first it was a shock,” Thompson said.

“Opened it, closed it, then I was like wait a second, I thought that was the water bill. So I went back to it and saw that it was $286.”

If she pays the bill before it’s due it’s $273. That’s still more than double her usual rate.

This month’s bill showed over 10,000 gallons of water used.

Thompson says her boyfriend immediately reached out to Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service. The company told them they may have a leak and recommended a toilet dye test.

But, nothing came from it.

After that, a plumber and a water company service worker checked for leaks but they too couldn’t find any.

Thompson tells us she left her faucet dripping during January’s intense winter storm to prevent her pipes from freezing.

“I just don’t see how in three days we used that much more water than normal,” she said.

The water company said using a slow occasional drip versus a small continuous stream can significantly impact usage, they say even a one sixteenth inch wide steady stream can use just over 800 gallons a day.

But Thompson says neighbors living in and around Georgetown don’t just see high rates in the wintertime.

In a public Facebook group dedicated to Georgetown water complaints, Thompson says she isn’t the only one.

“One lady said hers was, like, not this bill, but last month’s bill or they’ve gotten it in the spring or the summer,” Thompson said.

Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service provided a statement to WKYT Monday afternoon.

In that statement, they said they can’t comment on individual accounts due to customer privacy protections, but the company remains committed to providing documented data, clear processes and accessible resources.

They also said they’ve recently implemented additional tracking of utility wide metrics to better understand usage trends.

Their full statement can be found below.