The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General announced on May 6 that an audit of the Department of Finance and Department of Water Management’s metered water billing processes found that errors and poor communication have led to unexpected billing spikes for some customers.
The audit highlights concerns for residents who may face sudden, high charges due to these errors, making it difficult for them to resolve their bills. Tobara Richardson, Interim Inspector General for the City of Chicago, said, “The cost of living is rising for all Chicagoans. Therefore, it is imperative that the City do what it can to ensure it always bills accurately for services so as not to increase the burden on people who live here. Ultimately, public trust in government diminishes when service users have to jump through hoops to resolve issues for basic City services.”
According to the report, while water meters are generally accurate and rarely cause spikes themselves, mistakes in service orders and estimated calculations by city departments can result in large or confusing bills. The report also notes that infrequent written notices and unsatisfactory customer service add frustration when customers try to fix these problems.
Customers are often not told about sudden increases in their water use quickly enough to take action on possible leaks. After complaints are resolved by the Department of Finance, follow-up with customers does not always occur promptly or clearly.
To address these issues, the Office of Inspector General recommends better cooperation between departments and vendors; improved systems with features designed to catch errors; clearer definitions of staff roles; thorough training for customer service representatives; improved documentation; and more information provided directly to customers about how meters work. The departments responded that they will continue working together on process changes and training efforts but noted some recommendations would require significant costs or further review.
The full report with departmental responses was published on May 6.
