Unexpected water bills to hit thousands of San Francisco mailboxes
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - Thousands of San Francisco residents will see higher sewer and water bills because of a technical glitch.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission said customers had been receiving services for several months without being billed properly due to faulty transponders on their meters.
Some customers went three months without receiving a bill, while others went a year or more.
About 8,200 residents are affected, according to the agency.
SF Gate first reported that the commission would bill these customers for their unpaid water usage.
"Customers are not responsible for the cost of repairs. However, customers are responsible for the cost of water and sewer service they received," the SFPUC said in a statement.
Officials said they are working to fix the defective transponders and resolve billing problems for those impacted customers.
Customers unable to pay the full bill at once can enroll in a monthly payment plan.