ComplaintsforIndiana-American Water Company

• Initial Complaint

  10/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I recently renovated a home in Gary Indiana. I was told that I needed a new water meter pit installed because they retired the original water meters and pits or whatever. I keep receiving the same info about the water meter being incomplete. It's been three times i've called and scheduled since August. It seems to me the technicians are avoiding installing the new meter pit because they can't just simply turn it on and leave. These guys are playing the fool and don't want to work. Somethings not adding up.I had a technician tell me at my home He couldn't do anything because there was no Water meter pit.

  Business response

  10/30/2024

  Hello - what is the service address so we can investigate further. Thanks! 

• Initial Complaint

  09/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a house in June 2024. My first water bill arrived the following month and was over $1500 claiming that I’d used over a quarter million gallons of water. No one was living in the house. The water company advised me that there was a leak and that because they could see specifically what time of day that it was reported, that it must be an irrigation leak. We were not aware of any irrigation because there was none. After spending hundreds of dollars on leak inspections, the company admitted to the following: 1. The meter was old and faulty (I had previously been told it was in perfect working order) 2. The company acted in bad faith by sending me an initial bill with a meter reading that was not reflective of the prior owner’s closing bill - the starting meter reading was lower than the previous owners starting meter count let alone their end count, thus charging me for tens of thousands of gallons that were not used. 3. What tiny amount actually used was being charged at a rate of 100 times the actual use. I was never able to get a straight answer. I have not been able to get any explanation and now as I do have “normal” sized bills I’m still not sure if those are accurate. Especially as with no one living in the house is hard to see why 300 gallons was used. I have been seeking at minimum reimbursement for all the leak tests I ran that were unnecessary, based on the advice of the company. Approximately $500 cost. Finally, I believe they should be investigated for erroneous charging of other clients. It has take me three months to “sort of” resolve this issue, Although I will commend them on their willingness to send out capable and helpful technicians, who immediately noted that there was something wrong on the billing end. Only reason I knew something was wrong was because the numbers were so obviously inflated - lesser amount might go unnoticed. They should have higher standards and they should not impact other people.

  Business response

  09/19/2024

  Good afternoon,
  
  The American Water Account Resolution Team provided their findings to the customer on 9/4/24, the below email was sent detailing the issue which had caused high billing and the adjustment provided on the account: 
  
  "Dear ****** ******
  
  It is important to us, as we know it is to you, that your concerns with
  higher than expected water bills for billing periods June 11, 2024
  through August 8, 2024 be reviewed as quickly as possible. We have
  conducted a review of the bill in question and conducted a visit to
  verify the accuracy of the meter reading used to calculate the bill.
  
  During a review of your account, we discovered that the unit of measure
  was incorrect causing higher than expected water usage. On September 4,
  2024, we applied an adjustment in the amount of $1,420.90 plus tax which
  represents 270,963 gallons of water for billing periods June 11, 2024
  through August 8, 2024.
  
  If you have any other questions, please contact Customer Care at the
  number listed below. Customer Care Agents are available to assist you
  Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Indiana American Water Customer Care
  Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Emergency 24/7 1-800-492-8373"
  
  
  The meter was not faulty, the attached meter test shows that the meter passed on every flow level. The issue causing the higher bills was that the unit of measure was incorrect, which caused the incorrect billing. The customer was provided an adjustment of $1,420.90 representing 270,963 gallons of water to correct the billing periods which had the incorrect unit of measure. 

  Customer response

  09/20/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. The adjustment of water used was approximately 2700 gallons off from actual usage. The company has failed to provide evidence of that use, especially considering the house was empty at that time and as detailed in 2. below they failed to provide an accurate initial meter reading.
  

  2. There has been no explanation of how these errors occurred. The company initially attempted to report a meter reading starting at a number far lower than the previous owners bill. That demands an explanation. It is not acceptable that guesswork or arbitrary online readings are used.  Had I not been able to obtain the prior owners bill I would have no proof that the company acted in this way. had the amount been in the tens of dollars rather than the hundreds it would’ve gone unnoticed. 

  3. Most importantly, and the crux of my issue is that the company informed me numerous times that there was no error with the meter (subsequently I was told by an employee that the inspection showed the meter was very old and faulty)  and no error with billing. They maintained that there was a serious leak leading to $502 in costs for leak inspectors and plumbers. And not to be dramatic but the idea that there were hundreds of thousands of gallons of water pouring out of the system under my house caused immense stress. Nothing that can be solved by refunds but still worth noting. 

  I reject this response and again ask that the $502 in costs are reimbursed. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *****

  Business response

  09/23/2024

  The data log provided from the Account Resolution Team confirms the usage had gone through the meter. When you review the data log and compare the reads to the billing statements the customer received, it confirms that the readings were actual and matched the read on the billing statement. Again, the meter was not faulty and passed all three flow tests. The issue was that the unit of measure for the meter was incorrect. This is a system error, not a meter error. If the unit of measure is incorrect in the system, then reads will be incorrectly translated to billing units. The Account Resolution team identified this after investigation was completed both on the customer and company side, confirming there was no leak occurring. This is standard procedure, as we cannot confirm if the customer side equipment is causing issue until it has been investigated. We can only investigate company side equipment, it is the customer's responsibility to ensure that their equipment is functioning properly. It is also the customer's responsibility to investigate and repair potential customer side leaks, which is why the call center representative suggested investigation to confirm if the customer could identify any potential issues on their end. The meter dial correction noted on the customer's 9.4.24 rebill adjusted off 270,963 gallons. This corrected the data that had been entered incorrectly. We apologize for the inconvenience the customer experienced doing business with us, account corrections have been completed. 

  Customer response

  09/23/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Again: the adjustment is inaccurate.  The difference between the billed amount and the adjusted amount was over 2700 gallons. Since the house was empty I would question even 27 gallons use but it is very clear that any “adjustment” did not take into full account the inaccurate billing units used.  Also the company has absolutely failed to acknowledge that no in person meter reading took place until I had an inspector come out. There is literally no accurate starting number. 
  

  The previous owner’s closing bill started at 4760 and ended at 5289.

  My opening bill started at 4315 and ended at 6479

  
  This is not a simple “billing units” issue although that was one very serious and now resolved issue. The company has not proved they have any accurate starting or ending meter readings. Additionally it appears they billed the previous owner hundreds of dollars inaccurately. 
  

  So again I reject their charges and request that all bills are waived. I ought to claim back the $25 I paid.  
  

  And no I also reject that I should be responsible for the leak inspection charges.  It took the company over 2 months to provide an explanation during which time I was stressed daily at the idea of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water being leaked or lost or syphoned away. 
  

  I am again asking for all bills to be cancelled and to be refunded $502 in leak inspection charges. 
  

  And (and it’s immaterial at this point) I was told by an employee on one of my many many many calls that the meter was faulty.  

  
  Sincerely,
   ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  No bill reminder just straight shutoff my water and said it would be 1 buisness day and im now on my 2nd day no water even after paying the bill in full ***** joke these guys I’m paying $40 fee for you to turn it on today not at your convenience

  Business response

  06/28/2024

  The attached letter was sent to the customer on 6/3/2024 detailing necessary payment to avoid disconnection. The payment of $140.40 was due on 6/13/2024 to avoid disconnection. We did not receive payment prior to 6/13/2024, and the customer's service was disconnected as a result on 6/26/24. The customer paid their past due balance on 6/26/24 at 6:18 PM EST. Our Rules and Regulations set by the IURC state that the company has one working day to return service after payment of all delinquent charges has been completed. Service was returned at the service address on 6/27/24 at 3:23 PM EST. INAW has completed disconnection and reconnection within our Rules and Regulations set by the IURC.

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  5/29/24 I received an email from Indiana American Water stating they'd been trying to reach me. My bills were based on estimated meter readings & I need to contact them “before further action becomes necessary.” I called same day & had appt set for 6/6/24. I checked my email & had no previous emails, I'd received nothing via mail, & had received no calls/voicemails regarding stated issue. 6/6/24 a very nice serviceman came to my house. He told me there was no water meter present, showed me where it should've been, & stated new water lines had been placed recently. I explained I just moved in 3/24 & it had been flipped by the seller so maybe they removed it. He gave me 2 options: hire a plumber out-of-pocket to place a meter yoke in the basement or have American Water place a meter pit in the front yard for no cost. I chose the meter pit. He made a call & told me they haven't gotten an accurate reading since 9/23. I explained again that I just bought & moved in the house 3/24. I've only paid 2 bills. Is it possible they'd been contacting the previous owner? He said no, they can no longer do the meter pit, & I need to call a plumber + coordinate with American Water because they have to be here at the same time. He told me to do this ASAP. I made an appt with a plumber for the next day 6/7/24. I called American Water & they said the soonest they can come back is 6/17/24 from 8a-5p. I asked the woman on the phone if there was a better timeframe because I was told by your company that I have to coordinate a simultaneous appt with a plumber. She gave me a time from 8a-11a. I asked if there's any way I can make a set time or request the first appt at 8a for that day or any other. She said no. I said "so now I'm responsible to hire a plumber to sit at my house for 3hrs until American Water arrives & I have to pay for this all out-of-pocket?" She stated “unfortunately yes that’s just how we do it here.” It is now out of timeframe for new home warranty to cover.

  Business response

  06/11/2024

  Good afternoon,

  
  The letters attached were sent to the customer requesting access to complete a meter change during a mutually convenient time, these notifications generate when the system identifies an inside meter that has been consecutively estimating and needs to be replaced. The letter instructs the customer to call the call center to schedule an appointment when they have availability to be home for the meter change, as the field service representative will need access to the home.

   

  To ensure our field service representatives have the appropriate amount of time to complete their orders throughout the day, we do not schedule exact appointment times as we cannot guarantee the time it takes to complete each individual appointment. We offer appointment windows if customers are not available during the all-day window, which is why the customer service representative provided the 8am to 11am appointment window to the consumer. If the appointment currently scheduled does not work with the customer's schedule, we can work to reschedule the appointment window for another date.

   

  The mailing address we have on file for the customer is *** * *** *** ********** *** ***** - if this needs to be updated, please let us know and we will complete necessary corrections to ensure the customer receives the correspondence we are sending. 

  Customer response

  06/11/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Why was this not addressed sooner or with the previous owner of the property? I was told there was no reading at this property from September 2023-present. I have only lived at this property since March of 2024 and paid 2 bills to your company.  I responded appropriately with the steps you gave me. This is now being addressed just after my warranty has ended and now I am responsible for paying another party hourly to sit at my property until your company gets here after I was asked to coordinate these appointments. This is not a problem I created or caused.
  
  ******* ********

  Business response

  06/17/2024

  The previous customer had received letters advising that the meter was estimating as well, and we requested that the customer call in to schedule an appointment. The previous customer did not call in, so the issue was occurring when the new customer took responsibility for service. We went out to this property to work the order to stop estimation on 6/6/24, and the Field Service Representative found that customer's plumbing had been redone and the meter had been completely removed. The customer was advised by the Field Service Representative that they would need to hire a plumber to install the meter yoke so we could install a meter. The meter is inside and it’s the customer's responsibility to install a meter yoke for the meter to be installed. The new customer's start read was estimated at 283 and remained the same until the meter change was installed today, 6/17/24. Customer was not billed for any usage from 3/7/24 - 6/16/24. Customer will begin being billed for current usage effective today.

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Water meter malfunction and they want to over charge are charge me twice what my monthly usually is plus additional fee’s if there was another water company I would switch

  Business response

  05/06/2024

  Please provide your service address and we will investigate further. Thank you! 

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My complaint is against Indiana American Water. It has been an ongoing issue for almost 10 years. Our Street has had major pipe issues. Every leak and break ended up damaging our property. It would end up gathering in our drive and causing water damage which we have yet to be compensated. All of the other neighbors have had their issues resolved. We have called and called with no return response. Around Christmas 2022 our meter and pipe around it started gushing water. It was addressed within the week. Our sidewalk was busted up leak was fixed, but sidewalk was not repaired. Realizing because of weather it wouldn’t be repaired until warmer weather. Finally March of 2024 they came to repair sidewalk but nothing to driveway they would get back to us. We have had outrageous bills which have been like a yo-yo. I feel we have been very patient on this and would like to resolve issue ASAP

  Business response

  03/28/2024

  Hello - We had a company side service leak at your property that was repaired in January 2023. All of the restoration repairs that we are responsible for have been completed at your property. Thanks! 

  Customer response

  03/28/2024

  
  Complaint: ********  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The issue is very obvious, there is a straight line from across the street (which was a break  about 3 years ago) to the spots in our drive. The sidewalk across the street was repaired by your contractor and is already busting up. I appreciate your contact back but just like everything else in this town “NOBODY WANTS TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY”. It was not this way when we moved in. And as of 10 years ago. I will tell you that the contractor that did the cement work on our sidewalk also did work on our patio which was done a year ago and it is flacking and cracking on top of other damage. 
  Sent from my iPad
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********

  Business response

  04/04/2024

  The repairs that Indiana American Water is responsible for after the service leak that occurred has been completed and cared for. We are not responsible for any damage in your driveway. 

  Customer response

  04/10/2024

  
  

  Complaint: ********
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  All of our issues have come from leaks on this street look through your files and you will see. 

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  01/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Business is not able to be reached. I have called multiple times during their business hours and it just keeps going straight to. an automated messaging system saying that it is not their business hours and they are closed. Despite my time of calling being within their business hours. I have received three different emails from three different water companies for the same service that they are providing. I am not sure what is going on and need to find the correct business to pay but nobody is responding or answering the phone. This is absolutely ridiculous

  Business response

  01/02/2024

  Please provide your service address so we can investigate further. Thanks!

• Initial Complaint

  10/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  To the best of my knowledge I do believe in June. Maybe May I got a letter from Indiana American water saying they were going to go paperless. It said if we didn't want to go paperless to call them and tell them that we still wish to receive statements. Which I did call them and I clearly stated I wanted to keep receiving statements for my bills. So today is October the 4th and I read my email which I don't read my emails very often and it said that my payment was late. I look back on my records and I can clearly see that I didn't make a payment in August. I missed it because I didn't get a statement. Now they're going to want to charge me a late fee. I haven't paid for this bill yet. The outcome I'm wanting to see is getting my paper statements like I asked and the late fee be deleted off my account.

  Business response

  10/06/2023

  On 7/1/23, the customer was sent a postcard stating they would be converted to paperless billing during the week of August 1, 2023, and then an email was sent on 7/21/23, stating the same thing. They would be converted unless they called in and requested to continue receiving paper statements. This customer was converted to paperless on 8/6/23. The late charge has been credited and customer is now removed from the paperless billing program. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have a main water leak at a property at **** ******** ** ***** ** ****** I have contacted American Water several times over the past few weeks in regards to this issue. I was told that since the water was off so long I had to get a service request through my home address at **** ********* ** ***** ** *****. The exterior wall at my property has fallen in due to this main water leak. American water came out on the first day and said that the **** off needed to be replaced and that someone would be out to replace it. This has been going on for the past month and no one has yet to come out and turn off rhis running water. I need help because this running water is costing me more and more everyday

  Business response

  10/06/2023

  We were there on Friday, 9/29/23, and the house was boarded up with no access to the house and there was no water visible. Customer called in stating a main break and our FSR saw no water. There has been no customer here since 2013 so since the box was on, it would have been turned on by someone else, and not an INAW employee. We went back out on Monday 10/2/23 and turned the water off at the curb box.  

• Initial Complaint

  08/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Several years ago Indiana American Water required that my water meter be installed closer to the street, instead of the one inside the house. The contractor they hired did below standard work that created a leak in the water line installed by the contractor. That was repaired, and I got a leak adjustment. Then, last year, another leak occurred in this same line, it was repaired and I got a leak adjustment. Unfortunately, another leak occurred in June of this year due to the sub standard work. I got it repaired, but this time I am not going to receive a full adjustment. I requested a meeting with a local representative from the water company, and they only sent my adjustment request to some unknown office who gave me a partial adjustment. The best resolution to the problem is for the water company to dig up the current line, which will probably leak again. Since their system is set up so that you can’t talk directly with anyone in charge, I have no other recourse but to file a complaint to seek resolution.

  Business response

  08/07/2023

  Company policy is one leak adjustment for the life of the account. Customer received a leak adjustment in February 2023 for billing periods 11/10/22 – 1/11/23, which is why the additional adjustment was initially denied.
  
  On 8/1/23 - As a one time courtesy we applied an additional adjustment for 50% of the excess usage for billing period 6/13-7/12/23 since first adjustment was minimal. A letter was also sent to the customer regarding this adjustment on the same day.
  
  Customer called in on 8/3/23 and spoke with a CCA. Customer was inquiring if the adjustment had been applied yet, they were informed that it was and provided their current balance due. 

  Customer response

  08/07/2023

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the company is failing to address the root cause of the problem, the inferior installation of the water meter and pipe that connects to my original water line.  The solution is for them to examine this work and correct it themselves or to hire a proficient contractor to do so.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

  Business response

  08/11/2023

  We completed a meter move out at this address on 11/20/16. Per our records, there was a customer side leak identified in Sept 2017. Then again on Dec 2022, our service notes state there was a possible leak and that the  customer has WLPP through AWR. Customer was approved for adjustments both times. This customer has had leaks on the customer side, not the company side. Customer does have the WLPP through AWR and there are notes on the account from 7/11/23 - stating from the customer that they had a leak a few weeks ago and repair was completed by AWR. IAWC is not responsible for the repairs. 

  Customer response

  08/11/2023

   
  Complaint: ********
  I am rejecting this response because: the water company hired the contractor who installed the pipe that is leaking, on my side of the meter. They are refusing to take responsibility for the actions of their own contractor, and I will not accept their arguments then when it was installed or now.

   

  The water company needs to dig this up and do a proper installation.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩