In recent days, a senior couple in Danyang City, Jiangsu Province, used 1023 tons of water in their home over a two-month period, sparking widespread attention and becoming a hot topic. The local water company claims that they bill according to the meter readings, but the issue remains unresolved. This case is not isolated, as residents in Wuhan have also experienced strange occurrences of using 1270 tons of water over three months without actively using it. Additionally, there have been reports of residents receiving exorbitant water bills, with citizens in Changsha allegedly using over 2000 tons of water in two months, resulting in a bill of over 7000 yuan.
According to recent reports by multiple mainland media outlets, the 55-year-old Mr. Zhang and his wife from Xinxinjiayuan Community in Danyang City usually consume around a dozen tons of water every two months. However, in November and December of 2023, their water usage unexpectedly spiked to 1023 tons. Mr. Zhang, who lives on the top floor, insists that they did not steal water.
“We usually have a meter reader from the water company come to take readings every two months and charge us 3 yuan per ton,” explained Mr. Zhang. Based on this, he would owe 3069 yuan for water consumption, and with additional charges, his water bill totaled 3320.23 yuan.
Mr. Zhang mentioned that the water company has been pressuring him to pay this bill, but due to the absurdity of the situation, he has been in ongoing negotiations with them. He expressed concerns that refusing to pay could lead to his water being cut off at any time.
The staff at Danyang Water Group Co., Ltd. stated that they did not find any leaks at Mr. Zhang’s residence and are therefore charging based on the water meter readings.
The water company’s personnel mentioned that they have communicated with Mr. Zhang and will soon conduct an inspection of the water meter together. If it is confirmed that the meter is faulty and causing abnormal readings, they will charge based on the actual water usage. If the meter is found to be normal and undamaged, they will charge according to the meter readings.
When asked about how an ordinary household could have a water usage of 1023 tons in two months, the water company staff did not provide a specific explanation.
In response to this, Zhao Liangshan, a senior partner at Shaanxi Hengda Law Firm and a well-known public interest lawyer, stated that it is inconceivable for a household to consume over 1000 tons of water per month, and there are three possible explanations: a faulty meter, leaking pipes, or water theft.
Zhao suggested that the first step should be to check if the water meter has any issues. They recommended that the homeowner and the water company jointly commission a third-party professional organization to appraise the water meter. If any issues are found, the water company should adjust the charges based on the user’s average water consumption. If no issues are detected with the meter and no signs of leaking pipes are evident, the burden of proof falls on the water company. If they are unable to prove water theft, the responsibility lies with the water company for the excessively high water consumption readings.
The plight of the elderly couple in Danyang City has sparked discussions among netizens in mainland China. Many internet users expressed that it is not uncommon for water meters to register consumption even when no water is being used.
A few years ago, residents in Wuhan encountered a similar phenomenon where their water meters indicated high water usage despite not actively using water, with water consumption reaching over a thousand tons over three months.
Reported by Hubei Satellite TV on October 29, 2021, a Wuhan resident named Ms. Su stated that her household consumed 1270 tons of water over three months. When the meter reader came to take readings, they were astonished by the exceptionally high water usage, even though no one was present at home to use the water. The meter was rapidly spinning, indicating abnormal consumption levels.
While Ms. Su checked for leaks and had the property management conduct inspections, they could not identify the reason behind the meter’s abnormal readings, leaving her puzzled and hesitant to use water normally.
In November 2021, Guizhou resident Ms. Wu, who resides in Qiandongnan, returned to her home in Guiyang to find a water bill exceeding 1700 yuan. Despite rarely using water in the house for the past six to seven years, the unexpectedly high bill alarmed her. Property management explained that there was a leak due to a faulty valve on the water meter, which was later replaced at her expense.
Ms. Wu expressed frustration at why the meter reader had not detected the leak sooner. The manager at Guizhou Beikong Water Limited Liability Company admitted that outsourced meter readers had made mistakes, leading to the oversight of the long-standing leak at Ms. Wu’s residence that went unnoticed for months.
A similar incident occurred with Mr. Xia in Changsha, Hunan. On June 16, 2019, Mr. Xia revealed that his household used over 2000 tons of water in two months, resulting in a water bill exceeding 7000 yuan. After a water inspection, a leak was discovered between the main meter outside the building and the internal meter, which was solely attributed to the homeowner according to the company policy.
Mr. Xia argued that he should not be held responsible for outside leaks that were not in his possession. Despite ongoing disputes over the bill, the water supply to his house was eventually cut off due to unpaid fees.