McComb Finds $29,000 in Monthly Unbilled Water Revenue
MCCOMB - A city official told McComb's Board of Mayor and Selectwomen that a contractor auditing water accounts is recovering tens of thousands of dollars a month that had gone unbilled.
At the board's Aug. 18 work session, a selectman identified in meeting records only as Bell, whose full name could not be confirmed, described results from an audit performed by Water Companies of America. "So because of Water and Company of America's work, we now have additional revenue of $29,000 a month coming to the city," Bell said, presenting the figure under item 11 on the agenda. Under the contractor's arrangement, the company keeps half of the recovered revenue as its fee, leaving roughly $14,000 a month net to the city.
A board member said the water system had lost "millions of dollars" over recent years, citing broken meters, un-updated registers and inactive accounts that continued receiving water. That member pressed for a firm timeline to address the problems, including the possible hiring of an outside contractor to continue the work.
The figures point to a metering and billing system that had gone unchecked for years, with officials suggesting other ratepayers may have effectively covered the shortfall in the meantime.