More than 2,000 Ohio residents double-charged for water bills

FILE – Twenty dollar bills are counted on June 15, 2018, in North Andover, Mass. The number of Americans who do not have a bank account fell to a record…

FILE – Twenty dollar bills are counted on June 15, 2018, in North Andover, Mass. The number of Americans who do not have a bank account fell to a record low last year, as the proliferation of online-only banks and an improving economy is bringing more Americans into the traditional financial system, according to a report Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

by: Maeve Walsh

Posted: Nov 16, 2022 / 12:30 PM EST

Updated: Nov 16, 2022 / 12:32 PM EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Recent water bills might leave some Columbus residents overestimating the number of showers they took last month.

About 2,100 accounts owned by Columbus residents were charged twice for city water payments in November due to an error with the city’s payment vendor, according to George Zonders, a spokesperson with the department of public utilities. The double payments affected less than 1% of accounts registered with the city, but Zonders said it’s still a problem that must be corrected.

“Customer Service is working with that vendor to refund the duplicate payments back to the customers as soon as possible, and we apologize for the inconvenience,” Zonders said in an email.

Residents who incurred bank fees from insufficient funds because of the vendor error can contact the city’s call center with documentation of the charges to remedy the double payments, Zonders said. The call center, open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., can be reached at 614-645-8276 or via email here.