- An East Lansing neighbor says her latest water bill from Meridian Township was almost $900 after the township replaced her water meter.
- The township says supply chain and staffing issues led to the delay in replacing meters, and the charges are the resulting difference between the estimated and actual readings on her meter.
- Video shows Anna's reaction to the bill and perspective from the township.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
You might know the feeling of opening a bill to see a higher number than you were expecting. But one neighbor in East Lansing tells me her latest bill was nearly $900. I'm asking what's going on here.
As we get into the warmer months, neighbors in Meridian Township will start taking advantage of water available to everyone. But there's also the water that neighbors have to pay to use.
"We did receive a phone call in December saying that our meter needed to be replaced," Anna Baldori McLaren said.
That's why Anna Baldori McLaren says she was expecting her latest bill to be higher.
"In my head, I was thinking four or five hundred dollars for two quarters," she said.
But, when she opened the envelope...
"Woah, this is double what I had even thought," she said.
Her bill totaled a little more than $850. She says it's to account for differences in estimate readings since 2023 while the township waited to replace her meter.
"If we had been paying for it all along, it would've been a lot easier," Anna said.
Anna tells me that the meter was installed last month by the township, and with her bill now more than triple what she's paid before, she's left wondering why it took so long to replace her meter and charge her for the previous usage.
"It seems crazy to me," she said.
I took her concerns to the township, who told me in a statement that supply chain and staffing issues led to replacing malfunctioning meters. They said of the 15,000 meters in their system, around 750 are awaiting replacement. They hope to have that done in the next 18 months.
They added that in cases like Anna's, the township will work with residents to set up payment plans.
But for her, it means juggling payments with providing for her family.
"Right now it's pretty hard," she said. "I mean eggs are $10 a carton, you know? We're struggling with a lot of things financially. We normally catch up but it's just inconvenient."
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
