<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Tbn01_1H4LJF8j00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Tbn01_1H4LJF8j00" width="1174" height="660" >BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Central Alabama Water is investigating thousands of customer accounts for possible billing problems after discovering malfunctioning water meters and unusual usage records that could mean the utility has been providing water without collecting the money it should.During Friday's meeting of the Central Alabama Water (CAW) Board of Directors, Chief Reliability Officer Ray Sloan revealed that the utility has examined 18,500 accounts showing zero water consumption and identified another 11,500 accounts with potentially questionable billing patterns.Together, the two reviews involve approximately 30,000 accounts, although the utility has not established that all of them contain errors.The findings raise questions about how long some customers may have been receiving inaccurate bills, how much revenue the utility has potentially lost and whether correcting those problems could lead to higher charges for affected customers.The disclosure comes as CAW prepares to increase water rates by 3.4% beginning Jan. 1, 2027, with another rate review planned for May.<h2>Thousands of accounts showing no water usage</h2>Sloan told board members that CAW spent approximately six months reviewing 18,500 accounts that were receiving bills showing zero water consumption.The investigation uncovered numerous mechanical meters that had stopped working properly."Stuck meter after stuck meter after stuck meter," Sloan said while describing what employees discovered.Mechanical meters measure water consumption as water moves through them. When the measuring mechanism fails, a customer may continue using water without that consumption being accurately recorded.Sloan said some of the malfunctioning meters were associated with high-volume water users.He explained that certain conditions, including rapid changes in water pressure associated with irrigation systems and valves, can contribute to mechanical meter failures.The utility did not disclose how many of the 18,500 accounts were confirmed to have faulty meters or how much unbilled water consumption those problems represent.It also did not establish whether all the accounts showing zero usage were active properties with customers consuming water.<h2>Another 11,500 accounts raise questions</h2>The internal review was not the only investigation that identified potential problems.Sloan said an engineering firm and consultant conducted a separate audit of CAW's billing system and flagged another 11,500 accounts for further examination.Those accounts included customers whose recorded water consumption had dropped significantly and properties that appeared to have stopped receiving bills altogether.The findings suggest that some billing problems may involve more than broken meters.However, the utility did not establish whether the discrepancies resulted from equipment failures, account management errors, legitimate changes in occupancy or other circumstances.CAW also did not identify how many of the 11,500 accounts have been confirmed to contain billing errors.The two reviews involve separate groups of accounts, according to Sloan, but the utility has not released a detailed breakdown of the findings.<h2>How much money has CAW potentially lost?</h2>The billing investigation is part of a larger effort to reduce what the utility calls non-revenue water.That includes water CAW produces but does not collect payment for, whether because of physical leaks, inaccurate meters, unbilled consumption or certain authorized uses.Sloan told board members CAW's non-revenue water rate has fallen below 50% after previously reaching 55.5%.While much of the utility's attention has focused on deteriorating pipes and water main leaks, the billing investigation highlights another way treated water can fail to generate revenue.Unlike a broken water main, where water physically escapes the distribution system, a malfunctioning meter can allow water to reach a customer without being properly measured.That distinction matters because correcting inaccurate meters and billing records could help CAW recover revenue without producing additional water.However, the utility has not provided a dollar estimate of how much revenue may have been lost because of the accounts under review.It also remains unclear how much of the utility's overall non-revenue water problem is attributable to inaccurate meters and billing issues rather than physical leaks.<h2>Could customers receive higher bills?</h2>For customers whose meters are not accurately recording consumption, correcting the problem could change what they pay.A repaired or replaced meter may begin recording water usage that previously went unmeasured.That could result in higher future bills for some customers, even without an increase in their actual water consumption.But Friday's presentation did not establish how CAW intends to handle billing adjustments for customers whose meters are found to be malfunctioning.Among the unanswered questions are whether customers will receive advance notice of meter replacements, whether the utility will attempt to recover charges for previously unrecorded water usage and what process customers can use to dispute a bill.There is also the question of whether CAW has policies limiting retroactive billing when an equipment failure is the utility's responsibility.No announcement was made Friday about retroactive charges or penalties for customers whose accounts are under review.<h2>Billing problems emerge as water rates increase</h2>The findings come at a time when CAW customers are preparing to pay more for water service.The utility's board approved a 3.4% increase in fixed and usage-based charges beginning Jan. 1, 2027.For the average residential customer using approximately 3,000 gallons per month, CAW estimates the increase will add $1.61 to the monthly bill.The board also plans to revisit rates in May, although no additional increase has been approved.At the same meeting, officials acknowledged that the utility has fallen decades behind on replacing aging water mains and continues to lose significant amounts of treated water through leaks.CAW estimates that replacing major categories of deteriorated pipes could cost approximately $450 million.The billing investigation represents another component of the utility's effort to improve financial efficiency.For customers who are paying their bills based on accurately measured consumption, the findings raise questions about whether the utility has been collecting the revenue it should from other accounts.They also raise questions about whether improved billing accuracy could reduce some of the financial pressure contributing to future rate decisions.<h2>What happens next?</h2>CAW officials say they are continuing to investigate the accounts identified through the internal review and outside audit.The utility has not announced a completion date for that work or provided a detailed accounting of how many billing problems have been confirmed.It also has not disclosed the total amount of revenue potentially affected.The investigation leaves several important questions for customers: How widespread are the actual billing errors? How much money has the utility failed to collect? And what happens when a customer learns their meter has not been recording water usage correctly?As CAW moves forward with higher rates and efforts to improve its financial operations, the results of those reviews could provide a clearer picture of how much water is being used without being accurately billed.For customers, the issue is not simply whether the utility can collect more money. It is whether everyone is being billed accurately and fairly for the water they use.</div></body>

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Central Alabama Water is investigating thousands of customer accounts for possible billing problems after discovering malfunctioning water meters and unusual usage records that could mean the utility has been providing water without collecting the money it should. During Friday's meeting of the Central Alabama Water...

CAW flags 30,000 water accounts for potential billing problems

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Central Alabama Water is investigating thousands of customer accounts for possible billing problems after discovering malfunction

CAW flags 30,000 water accounts for potential billing problems

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