Inkster residents frustrated with City Council over water bills

INKSTER, Mich (WXYZ) - Inkster residents are angry and frustrated with City Council after they say Smart Meters have drastically raised their water bill.

In a meeting that lasted nearly four hours Tuesday, residents told stories of bills that have doubled and tripled. They also spoke of shut-offs and heartbreak over not being able to afford water.

Some residents said they will have to move out of Inkster because of the high bills. 

One landlord told of a woman who lives alone and has a broken washing machine. The landlord said the woman had a huge bill she could not afford. The man told Council they need a task force to look into the problem.

There were also tears, cheers and shouting throughout the meeting. 

Pastor Charlie Knighton had a $1,900 bill. He told council members the system is broken and council is in denial. 

Knighton said "the people are suffering" and this needs to be fixed.

In the end council decided to place a moratorium on shut-offs - unless customers are ignoring payment plans.

Council said the city  will also extend hours so residents can come in to discuss their bills. It was also decided that the bills will be adjusted if appropriate or a plan will be put in place.

Finally council is going to look for an outside firm to come in and look at the smart meters and the system and see if something is wrong.

The mayor and other Council members said that they could understand a handful of problems, but when more than a hundred people pack a meeting, all with the same problem, it needs to be looked into.