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New York (WCBS/WLNY) -- A Queens woman is facing a $20,000 water bill, and she says her efforts to dispute those charges have been unsuccessful.
NYC DEP denies homeowner's appeals for $22,466 bill
After 86 years living in Queens, Margaret McGowan knows the ins and outs of maintaining a home. But when her water bill arrived, she was stunned by what she saw.
"My normal bill, historically, was $200 to $300 a quarter, and this was $20,000," she said.
The widowed grandmother says that, out of nowhere, the amount she owed jumped tenfold, and she was back-billed at the elevated rate for two prior years.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection denied her two appeals and upheld the charges.
The DEP told CBS News New York, "Technicians have visited the property several times to confirm all equipment is working properly - which leads us to believe there has been a significant water leak within the home. Property owners are responsible for fixing water leaks and may be eligible for financial forgiveness if the leak is fixed promptly."
McGowan says she knows of no such leak, and she says her bills lowered again after the DEP conducted a water meter replacement. The DEP declined to address how the rate stabilized.
New York state senator believes DEP is at fault
"This is a classic case of government gone awry," New York State Senator John Liu said.
He believes the DEP is at fault and withholding key information.
"The DEP is claiming that this woman used enough water to fill 10 swimming pools every single month for two years. It's just inexplicable," he said. "We're now demanding that DEP fix this issue and stop harassing her with these ridiculous bills."
Living on a fixed income, McGowan can't afford to pay.
"Right now, they still keep sending me notices that they're going to put a lien on the house if I don't pay the bill," she said.
As monthly interest mounts, she longs for peace of mind.
"I think about this all the time," she said.
