业内人士： 市民抗辩高额水费帐单难得胜算

Industrial insider: residents disputing high water bills never win the battle

收到高额水费帐单的多伦多住户可能会就高额帐单与市政府争辩，但其结果往往则是精疲力竭的用户照单支付原有数额。

A shockingly high water bill received by Toronto residents may lead to a dispute resulting in the emotionally drained residents paying the original amount they were billed for.

“Whatever the reason causingthe extraordinarily high meter reading, there is always one answer provided to the deputing resident: occasional leak – which means that residents will be responsible for the bill caused by the leak,” said Mr. Wong (not his real name), an industrial insider who wants to remain anonymous.

 今年早些时候，《大中报》（Chinese News）报道了一名加拿大华裔和多伦多市政之间的水费纠纷。

Earlier this year, Chinese News published a story on a water bill dispute between a Chinese Canadian and the City of Toronto.

早在9月，艾米·兰（化名）接到从多伦多市发来的公用事业账单，其中显示她家从2012年3月20日至2012年7月25日的水费高达$10,592.26元。

Back in September, Amy Lam (not her real name) received a utility bill from the city of Toronto charging her household $10,592.26 for water services between March 20, 2012 and July 25, 2012.

虽然现在多伦多的许多地方仍然支付统一的水费，但是包括兰女士在内的很多住户家中都安装了水表以衡量一个家庭的用水量，并根据用水量收费。

While much of Toronto still pays a flat rate for water services, many residents including Ms. Lam now have a water meter, which measures a household’s water consumption by volume and adjusts charges accordingly.

兰女士之前的水费是673.91元，只是她平时账单中的一小部分。兰家的漏水马桶于去年6月就已经修好，但是她仍无法解释与此前账单上的巨大差异，并认为是

账单部门搞错了。

Ms. Lam’s previous water bill had cost $673.91, only a fraction of her current bill. Despite a leaking toilet that was fixed in June, she could think of no reason for the huge disparity and assumed the billing department had made a mistake.

在等待市政调查的过程中，兰女士在12月收到新的账单$ 10,333.08，其中包括7月25日至12月10日的$380.03元的水费，以及逾$500元滞纳罚金。

While waiting for city’s investigation on her dispute, Ms. Lam received a bill in Dec for $10,333.08, which included $380.03 for additional water services between July 25 and December 10, and more than $500 in late penalty charges.

 兰女士在一月份造访市政大厅的水电费办公室的时候，接待她的是一名助理，其表示已经进行调查，导致她水费单狂飙的原因是因为漏水。

Ms. Lam visited the civic centre’s utility payment office in Jan. when she was greeted by an assistant who said an investigation had already been conducted and that her bill was the result of leaks. 

“偶尔漏水”

“Occasional leak”

2012年4月，多伦多监察署（Toronto ombud）菲奥娜·克林（Fiona Crean）在“不停收到住户因为突然或莫名的用水量增长而收到超额账单的投诉”后，发布了一份多伦多用水调查报告。

In April 2012, Toronto ombud Fiona Crean released a report investigating the city’s water services, after receiving “ongoing complaints from residents about excessive bills for sudden, inexplicable water consumption,” the report said.

“Staff told (residents) that, if the meter was accurate and there was no city equipment or other error, (they) were responsible for the bill,” the report said. “Complainants found their consumption returned to previous levels in the next billing period, regardless of whether the meter was replaced.” 

 多伦多的公关顾问克里斯蒂娜·巴恩斯（Christina Barnes）在早期接受《大中报》采访时说房主必须负责支付在其住宅的所有用水量，包括漏水。

Christina Barnes, a communication consultant with the city of Toronto, told Chinese News in an earlier interview that homeowners are responsible for all water consumed on their premises, including leaks.

她表示：“确保住宅的管道设施良好地工作也是房主的责任，例如一个漏水的马桶在冲水后一直漏水，仅一年就会浪费高达20万公升的水。”

 “It remains the responsibility of the homeowner to ensure that plumbing on their premises is in good working order,” she said. “For example, a leaking toilet that continues to run after flushing can waste up to 200,000 litres of water in a single year.”

据其网站称，多市目前收取的水费为每立方米（1000公升）$2.71元左右，因此一个漏水的马桶可能导致一个住户每年的水费单增加逾$540元。

According to its website, the city charges around $2.71 per cubic metre (1000 litres) of water consumed, so a leaking toilet can add more than $540 to a resident’s annual water bill.

 据申诉专员的报告，多市94%的水表是准确的。其余6%的水表多收的水费平均只有2.34%。

According to the ombud’s report, 94 percent of Toronto’s water meters were accurate. The remaining six percent over-registered by an average of only 2.34 percent.

虽然这样的纠纷很少发生（每4600住户才有1例），业内人士王先生在接受《大中报》采访的时候表示兰女士的遭遇不足为奇。几乎所有有争议的水费单的调查结果都是一个相同的结论：“偶尔漏水”。

Mr. Wong, the industry insider told Chinese News that Lam’s story wasn’t surprising at all. Although such dispute rarely happens (1 out every 4600 residents), almost all of the disputed high water bills will end up getting a same answer from the city -- “occasional leak.”

据王先生表示，有许多原因会导致不合理的超高读表，有时是马桶漏水，有时是水管的气泡，或者破旧的水表经历水压波动，亦或其他原因。

According to Wong, there are many reasons that could result in an unexpected high reading -- sometimes it is the toilet leaks, and other times, it might be the bubbles in the water pipe, or water pressure fluctuations resulting in fast readings on worn out water meters.

根据现有的测试系统，水表是无法测到气泡或者水压波动给老旧水表带来的超高读数。

And based on the current testing system, it cannot detect the bubbles, or water pressure fluctuations.

王先生说，“即使这些情况下，住户也会被告知偶尔漏水造成的”。

“But even in those situations, the residents will also be told that it is caused by occasional leaks,” says Wong.

Councillor Davis said that residents like Ms. Lam will have a greater chance of succeeding if they can submit documents proving they have no leaks when disputing a bill.

 业内人士王先生表示，但在没有这一文件的情况下，许多对水费帐单提出抗辩者都会发现包括上庭在内的法律程序都对其不利。

Without such document, according to Wong, most residents contesting the bill will see themselves on the losing side of the legal battle, including court proceeding.

 王表示：“法庭判决总是对被控者，即使政府有利。”

“The benefit of doubts always goes to the accused, which is the city,” said Wong.

防范措施

Proactive measures

31选区的议员珍妮特·戴维斯（Janet Davis）称，住户必需确保定期查看他们的水表，如果收到过高的水费单，可以拨打市府的非紧急服务热线311。

According to Ward 31 Councillor Davis, residents need to make sure their meters are being read regularly, and phone 311, the city’s non-emergency services line, if they receive an excessively high bill.

市民应该聘请一个水管工检查自己的家中是否有漏水现象，并保留所有的文件。  

Residents should also hire a plumber to check their home for leaks, and document everything. 

 “要确保水表工作正常是非常重要的。”王说，所有市居民都应按时经常检查水表读数，起码每两个星期一次， 并通过电子照片将读数记录下来。同时，市民还应该注意到位于水表中心的漏水表盘指数。一旦发现异常，立即向市政厅报告。”

 “It is also important to make sure your water meter works properly,” says Wong, who indicates that residents should regularly check the meter reading -- at least once every two weeks, and record the reading by taking digital photos. They should pay attention to the leak indicator located at the meter centre. If any irregularity is detected, report to the city immediately.

 王表示：“只有这样才能杜绝此类事件不会发生。”

“This is the only way that you can prevent the similar situation from happening to you,” says Wong.


在《大中报》的帮助下，兰女士于1月与市府公用事业部门的某经理见面。 

With help from Chinese News, Ms. Lam arranged an appointment with one of the city’s utility department managers in Jan.

但不幸的是，会面并没有按计划进行。那名经理未能给兰女士一个满意的解释，说明为什么她的水费会那么高。与此同时，兰女士仍要支付这笔高额水费帐单。

Unfortunately, the meeting did not go as planned. The manager could not give Ms. Lam a satisfactory explanation for why her bill was so expensive.
As such, Ms. Lam remaind to be responsible for the bill.