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Hundreds of Ogden homeowners will be getting a pleasant surprise: a refund from the water company. That includes one man who paid a nearly $10,000 water bill earlier this year, but he says the city still owes him money.
The refunds stem from the city getting rid of a conservation surcharge. People who used over a certain amount of water paid a higher price this summer.
After numerous complaints, the city voted to get rid of it and refund customers more than $300,000. But Rick Baur says the city still hasn't addressed his problem: a bill claiming he used millions of gallons of water in three months.
For months, Baur has been fighting the water bill from the City of Ogden, one that claims he used 1.4 million gallons in three months. It's an amount that would fill a standard swimming pool 70 times.
"I think anybody with any sense can see there's a problem," Baur said.
While Baur's bill was by far the highest, Ogden officials received other complaints from homeowners: bills in the hundreds of dollars.
They traced those bills back to a water surcharge implemented this year. This month, they voted to eliminate it and will be issuing about $320,000 dollars in refunds to more than 500 customers. That includes Baur's family.
"There's a substantial refund that will be processed for them. As I recall, it's almost $7,000," said John Patterson, Ogden's chief administrative officer.
But as for the 1.4 million gallons Baur was billed for, the city says that's correct "It's physically possible for that much water to go through his meter," Patterson said. "In the particular location in our city, with the rocky soil, it just dissipated in."
But Baur maintains there's no way that happened and says a lack of communication with city leaders has him frustrated. "If they can show me how I used it, legitimately used it, I'd pay it. Well, I did pay it. I want it back," he said.
As for the $300,000 in refunds, those who qualify will either receive a check in the mail or, if they haven't paid yet, a credit on their bill.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
