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Business owner gets hefty water bill refund
By JAKE MUONIO
A Shenandoah restaurant owner is getting a refund and a letter of apology from the city after being overcharged thousands of dollars on water bills.
Chris Henderson, the owner of Raising Cane’s restaurant, 1501 Research Forest Drive in Shenandoah, will be reimbursed to the tune of $27,727.05. City officials recommended the amount, along with 4 percent interest on the sum.
The overbilling was linked to a faulty water meter.
Since the restaurant’s November 2006 opening, water bills have ranged from $1,270 to $2,889.
In the month prior to the restaurant opening, its bill was $131.
With the installation of a new meter, Raising Cane’s water bill dropped to $165.90, and the highest it has been since was $531.35.
Shenandoah officials began inspecting the meter after Henderson alerted them to a potential issue.
“(The discovery of the error) is the direct result of a customer’s complaint,” said Rod Hainey, Shenandoah’s assistant director of public works.
Hainey, in a memo to the city council, said city staff first looked into whether or not there was an issue with the meter in July.
“The meter was (checked) for leaks, low flow and high flow conditions,” he said. “The test revealed that there was a problem with the register and a new register was ordered and replaced. Thereafter, the new register continued to malfunction.”
Further inspection of the meter showed another problem, faulty installation by the builder.
Hainey said that when meters typically malfunction, readings go to zero, making the restaurant’s situation uncommon.
City staff has also been asked to review other business and residential water bills to ensure similar cases aren’t happening elsewhere.
“I think we should watch and monitor this, and apply some common sense,” Councilman Dave Ross said.
Chris Henderson, the owner of Raising Cane’s restaurant, 1501 Research Forest Drive in Shenandoah, will be reimbursed to the tune of $27,727.05. City officials recommended the amount, along with 4 percent interest on the sum.
The overbilling was linked to a faulty water meter.
Since the restaurant’s November 2006 opening, water bills have ranged from $1,270 to $2,889.
In the month prior to the restaurant opening, its bill was $131.
With the installation of a new meter, Raising Cane’s water bill dropped to $165.90, and the highest it has been since was $531.35.
Shenandoah officials began inspecting the meter after Henderson alerted them to a potential issue.
“(The discovery of the error) is the direct result of a customer’s complaint,” said Rod Hainey, Shenandoah’s assistant director of public works.
Hainey, in a memo to the city council, said city staff first looked into whether or not there was an issue with the meter in July.
“The meter was (checked) for leaks, low flow and high flow conditions,” he said. “The test revealed that there was a problem with the register and a new register was ordered and replaced. Thereafter, the new register continued to malfunction.”
Further inspection of the meter showed another problem, faulty installation by the builder.
Hainey said that when meters typically malfunction, readings go to zero, making the restaurant’s situation uncommon.
City staff has also been asked to review other business and residential water bills to ensure similar cases aren’t happening elsewhere.
“I think we should watch and monitor this, and apply some common sense,” Councilman Dave Ross said.
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