Be on guard or leaks may soak up savings

This is a follow up to my letter (March 30), “the lake that vanished.”

Following its publication, I received numerous telephone calls from concerned people asking me to elaborate on two specific questions they had:

1. Why weren't you notified by the water department when your meter indicated that you were spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of water for a one-person household? It should have been obvious to them that something was drastically wrong.

My reply: The department reads meters only one a month - on the 15th - I was notified of this disaster several days later (as they started their billing) thus permitting several more thousand gallons of water to escape.

2. Is it legal for the department to request the last two years of federal tax returns, the last six months of bank statements and canceled checks in order to qualify for the payment plan?

My reply: Don't ask me. Ask them. I did not initiate the requirements for their payment plan nor did I participate. Needless to say, the whole thing almost gave me heart failure.

Well, there you have it. My advice to you good citizens is be on guard. Check all your spigots, pipes, pumps and gadgets that transport water. Do it unless you want to wind up in a nightmare like mine, saying farewell to your hard-earned dollars.

MARGARETE FALLAT

Ponderay