Wintersville residents frustrated by missing water bills, unexpected late fees

WINTERSVILLE, Ohio — Residents in Wintersville have been experiencing a problem for weeks, as some are still without their August water bill.

On Aug. 23, Richard Foust realized he hadn’t received his water bill for August. Realizing he didn’t know the total he had to pay, he called Wintersville’s water department. However, he quickly realized his bill was higher than expected.

“I asked them, ‘Was the late fee tacked onto that?’ They said yes,” Foust said.

Quickly, Foust called the village, who told him it was a post office problem. The post office had another story.

“They just told me they delivered all the mail they received,” Foust said. “They weren’t aware of this problem. The thing is, I talked to a few of my neighbors, and they never received theirs.”

Village Administrator Jesse Kosegi says it’s not the fault of the village, either.

Kosegi showed NEWS9 receipts from the post office. From June through September, the village mailed out between 1,550 and 1,600 bills. The reason for the differentiation each month is people moving to and from the village.

While he understands the frustration, Kosegi says the village can’t honor Foust’s or other’s pleas.

“We haven’t waved any late fees on that because, if I wave late fees for this, what is it to say that somebody on another street doesn’t say, ‘I didn’t get mine either.’ We have to wave theirs. I mean, I can’t prove who was late and who was on time.

“The water bill is due on the 20th of every month; it’s been like that for 50 years.”

However, the issue has highlighted a larger problem — the inability for residents to pay their bill online. According to Kosegi, that is quickly changing.

“The big issue is, we have data from years past that we’re trying to eliminate, so we have new data for the new system,” he said. “That causes problems when you have data that’s not correct or you don’t know.”

While Foust and others wait on their bill and worry about the effect of late fees, Kosegi asks for patience and understanding for a problem he says is ultimately out of everyone’s hands.