Residents in Duquesne say water, sewer bills went up hundreds of dollars in just weeks

ALLEGHENY CO., Pa. — Paying the water bill or the rent is a real choice for some in the city of Duquesne.

Some neighbors said their water bill went up hundreds of dollars in a matter of weeks.

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Mayor Nickole Nesby told Channel 11 her phone has been ringing off the hook with people complaining about higher than normal water and sewer bills.

One resident provided bill statements that went from $80 to almost $300 out of nowhere.

“We changed out all the fittings in the toilet and we actually turned off the water at the main valve for almost a whole month, and we would use buckets to flush the toilet just to monitor our water usage,” the man said. “And the water bill is still double what it should be.”

Another person showed Channel 11 her sewage bill that spike to almost $1,000.

Nesby said this issue is compounding with the ongoing problem of residents struggling to pay rent or mortgages due to the pandemic.

“Unfortunately, many of them are not able to pay their rent or their mortgages, so this is compounding the anxiety on them at this point and time not to have water. And unfortunately, since the city of Duquesne is not regulated by the PUC, we are not obligated to offer them a payment arrangement," she said.

Nesby told Channel 11 she hopes to have an answer to this problem by the time she meets with city council on Oct. 27.

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