School water bill 10 times larger than expected corrected by Yorkville City Council

When a water bill came in more than 10 times larger than expected for Yorkville High School, Yorkville School District 115 officials were a bit suspicious.

After contacting city officials, the school district found out they were right in their skepticism, the bills were way off.

“We had a water billing discrepancy with the meter that was malfunctioning in a pit that was sitting there for months on end,” Bart Olson, city administrator, said at the June 10 city council meeting. “No one’s really to fault. We think that the meter was malfunctioning, so we’ve adjusted the bill down to their normal bill, plus a little bit of growth to take into account.”

The city council approved a motion to provide a grant for the water meter malfunctioning underneath the school’s campus.

The grant enables the city to correct a $26,460 bill that should have read $2,568, based on the high school’s water usage.

The bill in question was dated August 31, 2024, covering a 14-month billing period, according to city documents.

An investigation by city officials found no actual water meter readings occurred during that period.

The school district requested a review of the utility bill in December, 2024.

As part of the transition to Lake Michigan water, the city is more closely examining any potential water leaks in their system, with state requirements to significantly reduce lost water from leaks as part of the agreement to join with the DuPage Water Commission and receive Lake Michigan water.