City resident Kayla Hillhouse addressed concerns about a meter reading issue on Oct. 21 to the Bourbon Board of Aldermen.

Hillhouse requested to be on the agenda to express her difficulties with the water meter readings. She mentioned an increase in her water bill, going from $80 in September to over $180 in October. 

According to Hillhouse’s smart meter, she used 11,000 gallons throughout the course of a month. However, she said she uses 10 to 20 gallons a day. Officials suggested she check the toilets to see if there were any leaks, but Hillhouse said she hired two plumbers to check for leaks and there weren’t any. 

“I’m digging up my yard, my toilets aren’t leaking, or something is wrong with the meter,” said Hillhouse when referring to the board would have to pay between $300 and $400 for the meter. She noticed that the meter’s software could back-track water usage up to 120 days, but the city’s system only stores data for 35 days. 

Hillhouse asserted that 35 days isn’t long enough. By the time citizens get their water bill, there is already two weeks of data that they can’t track. “Whenever I added up the ten days or two weeks by the time I actually got it, I used maybe 200 gallons that I account for,” said Hillhouse.

“Unless we see it on a graph or some continuous water flow, then how do we know it’s not just the meter that’s glitching?” She asked.

Mayor Dave Lafferty said that the city installed a smart meter five years ago. Alderman Margie Brine asked City Clerk Cathy Bremer about ways to keep better track of water bills through the software. 

“Let’s at least try that as an option to keep data a little longer for someone,” said Brine.  

Bremer wasn’t aware of another way to keep track of the data with the software available, but is willing to look into it.

“I’m in the situation where I have to pay a $180 bill, but I don’t know whose fault it is,” said Hillhouse, addressing the board. 

Brine asked about updating the software on the city’s software billing system. Lafferty said not to worry about paying the bill right now. He offered to extend the due date of the bill because this issue has never come up before. 

“I would hate for you to replace the smart meter because I know you guys are short-handed,” said Hillhouse to Lafferty. 

Lafferty said moving forward with replacing the meters shouldn’t be a big deal. Brine thanked Hillhouse for bringing her issue to the board. 

The board will continue to look into the issue; no action was taken.