Margaret McGowan, an elderly resident from Queens, received an outrageous $22,828.71 water bill from the DEP, a figure she argues is inaccurate. Having never paid more than $85 monthly over 50 years, the back charge represents approximately ten swimming pools of water monthly during a two-year period when her water meter was off due to repairs. Despite two denied appeals, McGowan is appealing to the Water Board, with local lawmakers advocating for her cause. They question the DEP's explanation of a possible leak, urging accountability from the agency for its billing practices.
"DEP not only needs to cancel this ridiculous $22,000 bill. They need to issue an apology to Mrs. McGowan," said Senator Liu, who expressed concern that this could be happening to other city residents.
Trouble started in January of 2022, when the DEP discovered an equipment issue at Mrs. McGowan's home and froze her bill for two years while the agency remedied the meter problem.
It was a shock to me to get the bill that high . . . plus interest is accrued," said McGowan.
Senator Liu called out the agency's claims about a leak, stating, "That would be ten swimming pools, and their suggestion that there was some kind of leak - Could you measure if there were..."
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