BREAKING: Mum's entire $12,000 bill waived

Urban Utilities waive $12,327.97 water bill after hearing mum's story

UPDATE 5.15PM: PUBLIC backlash over a Bundamba family being hit with a $12,000 water bill has resulted in Queensland Urban Utilities back-flipping on its tough-love stance.

The Queensland Times ran a story this week about mother-of-three Sherelle Taylor's utter shock and disbelief at receiving the staggering $12,327.97 water bill.

Ms Taylor said she had to look twice at the astronomical amount which claimed she was using more than 30,000 litres of water per day.

Queensland Urban Utilities claimed she had used more than 2,701,000 litres of water in 90 days - enough to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool.

The bill was the result of an undetectable water leak on Ms Taylor's property which Queensland Urban Utilities said she was legally responsible for.

But late on Tuesday afternoon Queensland Urban Utilities had a change of heart and said they would wipe the entire bill.

Spokeswoman Michelle Cull said after a review of the case the company had concluded there was special circumstances and the amount would be wiped.

"Concealed leaks can result in thousands of litres of water being lost underground with no visible signs of dampness on the surface," she said.

"We would like to remind home owners that any leak on their side of the meter, in private plumbing, is their responsibility.

"We do recognise that bills resulting from concealed leaks can cause distress for our customers.

"We would like to encourage all home owners to regularly check their water meter to monitor consumption - this is the best way to identify hidden leaks."

Ms Taylor said she was over the moon at the result and thanked the Queensland Times for helping her family.

"I cannot thank the media enough in helping our family out," she said.

"When they called me to say they were wiping the charges it was the biggest weight of my shoulders.

"I cannot begin to express how appreciative I am at the outcome."

EARLIER: BUNDAMBA woman Sherelle Taylor was in utter disbelief when she opened her quarterly water bill and saw she owed more than $12,000 in usage charges.

The mother-of-three had to look twice at the astronomical amount which claimed she was using more than 30,000 litres of water per day.

Queensland Urban Utilities claimed she had used more than 2,701,000 litres of water in 90 days - enough to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool.

Ms Taylor said she was astounded at the amount and immediately thought Queensland Urban Utilities had made an error.

But that was not the case.

"The person who came over to read the meter noticed it ticking over and then told Queensland Urban Utilities about it," she said.

NOT HAPPY: Queensland Urban Utilities has slapped Sherelle Taylor with a $12,113 water bill. Picture: Rob Williams

"They came out and told us we might have a problem so we got a plumber in to check it out.

"The plumber came and found a "undetectable leak" in our water pipe which was located about 1300mm from the surface."

Ms Taylor, who gave birth to her daughter four weeks ago, said with the amount of water involved her suburban front yard should have been a lake.

She said there was absolutely no indication there was a water leak on her property as the whole front yard was bone dry.

"My partner is a grounds keeper and deals with that sort of such each day," she said.

"Our previous water bills were between $300 and $400 which is pretty normal.

"There is no way in the world we not have noticed that amount of water in our front yard, it would have been a swamp."

Ms Taylor said she contacted Queensland Urban Utilities who said she was responsible for the amount and offered to place her a payment plan.

To make matters worse the invoice stated if she did not pay the amount in full compounding interest of 11% would be calculated on a daily basis.

"They reduced the amount by $791.98 due to the fact it was an undetectable leak but would not budge any further," she said.

"They simply said we had to pay for it and the operator even asked if we wanted to pay for it over the phone.

"I just broke down in tears . . . I was devastated and in complete and utter shock.

"The whole experience has been extremely stressful, the whole thing is utterly ridiculous.

"I think I would have certainly noticed that amount of water sitting in my front yard."

Queensland Urban Utilities spokeswoman Michelle Cull said in a statement to the Queensland Times Ms Taylor was responsible for the bill.

She said concealed leaks can cause distress for home owners because thousands of litres of water may be lost underground with no visible signs on the surface.

"If a concealed leak is on the property owner's side of the meter, in their private plumbing, it is their responsibility to repair the leak and cover the cost of the water," she said.　

"We do have a policy where we can offer residential customers assistance of up to $1000 for concealed leaks and that has been provided in this case. 　

"If we become aware of an increase in consumption through our normal meter reading cycle, where possible, we try to contact the home owner to let them know. 　

Ms Cull said meters were only read once a quarter and this alone should not be relied on as a way to monitor water consumption.　

"That is why we strongly encourage home owners to regularly check their water meter to identify potential leaks," she said.　

"In this case, one of our inspectors visited the property and personally informed the residents of a possible leak, which they then repaired.　

"If a customer has had a concealed leak and is unable to pay their bill, we encourage them to get in touch with us as we can arrange a payment plan to suit their needs."

Originally published as BREAKING: Mum's entire $12,000 bill waived