Residents Voice Frustration Over Soaring Water Bills at Minor Hill Utility District Meeting

Frustration and concern filled the Minor Hill Utility District meeting Tuesday afternoon as residents reported water bills that have suddenly doubled or even tripled — despite no change in their household water use, according to WKSR.

Several customers told the board the higher charges have caused financial strain, with some automatic bank drafts resulting in overdraft fees. “We’ve always paid about $40. All of a sudden my bill was $120 and I’m a one-bathroom house — we’re not using that much water,” one resident said. Another attendee reported compiling about 200 complaints from social media and urged the board to treat the issue as a system-wide problem rather than a series of individual leaks.

District officials attributed the spike to billing software and meter-reading errors. Staff said a software failure in September caused some charges not to process, which then appeared as lumped or duplicate charges when the system corrected itself. Customers are being encouraged to receive bills by email, as some have also reported missing paper bills through the mail.

The board voted to adopt new billing software from Local Government Corporation — the same provider used by the City of Pulaski and other departments — with implementation expected to begin in January 2026.

The meeting also touched on growing tensions in the community, with residents saying online discussions about the billing issue have become heated. One speaker even suggested new safety measures for office staff.

Board members acknowledged the heavy volume of calls and visits the district has received, assuring customers they are working to resolve the issue. Impacted customers are encouraged to keep copies of consecutive bills, photograph meters regularly, and request an account review with an hourly log pull.