Water customers sue city over incorrect bills

Published 7:19 am Thursday, June 20, 2019

Residents are suing the city of Jackson, Mississippi, to prevent their water from being shut off, citing more than $80,000 in inaccurate account balances.

The Clarion Ledger says the complaint filed Tuesday claims plaintiffs’ water accounts shouldn’t be turned off given the city’s admission to widespread billing issues in its own lawsuit against the Siemens company.

The city is suing Siemens for failing to provide a billing system among other promises.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

The claim says the city knows the billing system isn’t accurate yet continues to hold customers accountable for its own mishaps.

Public Works Director Bob Millers says the city is about $2 million behind in monthly water revenue.

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba says a culture of nonpayment is prevalent because the city fails to even provide water bills.