Some Miami Springs residents say their water bills jumped after receiving new meters

In May, NBC6 Responds spoke with several Miami Springs residents about issues they were facing with higher-than-normal water bills. 

“They should charge me for the water that I spent,” homeowner Marina Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez saw her bill skyrocket from around $90 bucks a month to over $1,000. 

At the time, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department blamed the issue on a limited number of new automated meters that weren’t synced with the water department’s billing system. 

The department was relying on what’s known as “estimated billing.”

Estimated billing is when the department uses information from your previous consumption to estimate what you may have used in water.   

After we reached out to the Miami-Dade WASD, a spokesperson said they would reevaluate the bills of the customers with the new meters. 

Since that story aired, we’ve heard from more Miami Springs residents who say they have also encountered issues with their water bills. 

“I have allocated funds for certain bills. I don't mind paying for something I consume,” homeowner Miriam Rodriguez told us. 

She says the amount she owes has doubled month to month compared to previous years. 

When we reached back out to the Miami-Dade WASD, we learned more information about the issue plaguing some Miami Springs residents. 

In total around 400 meters were impacted by the previous billing issue but the department spokesperson told us all of these “accounts are now receiving bills based on actual consumption and not on estimates.” 

When we asked about how the department handles estimated billing, a spokesperson explained the department doesn’t have an estimated reading program like some other counties, but instead, they only use estimated readings that are based on a customer’s previous consumption “when a water meter is inaccessible, damaged or fails to communicate” to their system. 

If you notice the words “estimated reading” on your bill for several months in a row, it could be because of problems such as access issues, no replacement meters being available, or meter communication issues. 

The Miami WASD says these issues are not what is causing Miriam’s bill to be higher, and that her meter is working properly. 

They told us they plan on reaching out to her directly to give her more information on her billing. 

According to the Miami-Dade WASD website, you can check to see if your meter was misread by copying down the numbers on your meter and comparing them to the numbers on your utility bill under the current reading. 

The numbers on the meter should be equal to or higher than what you see on your bill.