"No way she could've used this much water:" 94-year-old woman receives $1,500 water bill



DEKALB COUNTY, Georgia -- 94-year-old Davee Kuniansky lives modestly these days and depends on a full-time caregiver for everything. She suffers from dementia and uses a wheelchair to get around.

Her daughter, Judy, handles her finances.

"There's absolutely no way that she could have used this much water in a year, much less a month," Judy Kuniansky said.

The DeKalb County Water Department billed her for more than $1,500 last month, claiming she used 35,000 gallons of water. That's more than three average-sized swimming pools.

"She doesn't do her own dishes. She doesn't do her own laundry. She doesn't bathe every single day," Judy Kuniansky said.

Judy said her mother's water bill is more than her monthly mortgage.

"I have no intention of paying this ungodly amount of a water bill. But it would be horrible to have her water cut off at the age of 94, or at any age for any reason," Judy Kuniansky said.

Judy joined the group "Unbelievable DeKalb Water Bills" on Facebook. She's one of more than 430 members who can't understand why the county is charging them so much for water.

"Well I think DeKalb County has a lot of corruption issues and I think this is just huge," Judy Kuniansky said.

The Kuniansky's hired a plumber to investigate and no leaks were found.

As it turns out, it's not the first time Davee has received an unusually high bill.

"The one before this was $207.58 and the one before that was $224.89, and I only found out now those were outrageous bills in themselves. They should have been less than $100 a month," Judy Kuniansky said.

The Kuniansky's want a good explanation from the county before they pay thousands for water.

DeKalb County Commissioners Jeff Rader, Nancy Jester and Kathie Gannon will host a countywide town hall for taxpayers to discuss and offer public input regarding water bills on Thursday, October 6, 2016 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at the Maloof Auditorium in Decatur. Senior staff from the water department are expected to attend.