Homeowner battles water, then his bill

• Gutted basement

Al Schrock looks at photos from the flood in the gutted basement of his home in Oakport Township north of Moorhead. Schrock was charged for hundreds of gallons of city-treated water that flowed into his basement. David Samson / The Forum

Talk about it

Al Schrock lost his fight with the Red River. Now, he’s battling his

water bill.

Schrock hasn’t lived in his Oakport Township home north of Moorhead since the river swamped his basement in March.

So, when his April water bill from Moorhead Public Service arrived at more than double the usual amount, Schrock was shocked.

“We got screwed by the flood, and now we’re getting screwed by the city of Moorhead,” he said.

Schrock was charged for hundreds of gallons of city-treated water that flowed into his basement when floodwaters unhinged his water heater and washing machine from their pipes.

Doug Rogness, communications director for MPS, said he couldn’t comment specifically on Schock’s account, but he said the utility’s policy is that the homeowner is responsible for water that passes through the meter.

“It gets difficult for us to track how much water came through the meter after an incident happened versus before,” he said.

In circumstances involving flooding or frozen pipes bursting, homeowners are strongly encouraged to contact their insurance representative or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he said.

“This could very easily qualify as flood damage expenses for reimbursement,” Rogness said.

Homeowners also may appeal their bills if they’re not satisfied, he said.

Schrock said floodwater was pouring through his basement windows as he fled his home March 27, and he was unable to shut off the water from inside.

On his way out of Oakport, he called an emergency hot line to request crews to shut off his water and electricity.

Schrock, 53, said that when he received his bill Thursday and inquired about it, an MPS customer service representative told him his water had been shut off April 8 or 10.

But a notice from MPS later posted on his door stated that since MPS was unable to meet him personally on April 4, the utility thought he should know that his water was turned off at the curb.

That’s confusing, he said, because his April bill of $109.36 covers the service period for April 6 to May 5.

“So, the water was shut off two days before this billing cycle even started,” he said.

The previous month’s bill was $51.58, which is the usual amount, he said.

Schrock said the MPS representative, Marie Lund, told him he should be grateful because there were other Oakport homeowners whose water ran longer before being shut off, and their bills were four times larger than his.

Schrock, who is living with his wife in a one-bedroom north Fargo apartment, doesn’t expect to be able to return home for three to four months. He said MPS should forgive the extra costs if the city didn’t shut the water off in a timely manner.

Lund said, “I really don’t care to comment,” and that she can’t discuss a customer’s bill with someone not related to the account.

Rogness said MPS is aware of only two flood-related cases of high water volume use this spring, which he called “a great testament to the communication process as people were leaving their homes.”

He thanked MPS crews and firefighters who worked day and night to shut off services to homes.

“We received hundreds and hundreds of requests for water turnoffs that had to be done in a couple days, and we did the best we could to get those done,” he said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528

Tags: spring flood 2009, oakport township, flood, news, moorhead