EL MIRAGE, Ariz. — Several utility customers with the City of El Mirage have complained about higher-than-normal water bills, prompting the city to open an investigation into recent meter readings from the city's contractor.
City officials said they have worked with about 37 customers to address the high bills and are currently verifying the readings of more than 11,000 customers.
One customer told 12News her monthly bill is usually around $90, but the most recent bill was for more than $320.
The city was first made aware of the inaccurate meter readings, which officials said were done by contractor Mountain States Pipe and Supply, during the most recent billing cycle in the first week of October. City officials said they are committed to providing billing solutions to customers.
“For whatever reason, we don’t know at this point, there was some data that did not get into our system correctly," City of El Mirage spokesperson Kari Silva said.
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The full scope of the inaccurate readings is currently unknown and city utilities field staff are confirming the accuracy of meters by verifying each meter, officials said.
“We’re sending out city technicians into the field to verify any meter readings that we suspect might need another read," Silva said.
The third-party company, Mountain States Pipe and Supply, told 12News they're working with the City to figure out what went wrong.
El Mirage utility customers who believe they are affected can contact customer service at 623-933-1228 or by emailing utilities@ElMirageAZ.gov. Customers can also go to the customer service office at 14011 N 1st Avenue in El Mirage for billing solutions.
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