Shocking Water Bills Hit Two Homeowners in Ontario

Two homeowners in Ontario were taken aback when they received water bills of $8,129 and $11,314 and were informed that they needed to pay them.

If you own a swimming pool, have a sprinkler system, or use a lot of water, you might expect higher bills. But sometimes you can get hit with an unexpected large bill if there’s an unnoticed plumbing problem.

Two homeowners in Ontario were taken aback when they received water bills of $8,129 and $11,314 and were informed that they needed to pay them.

“I had to read it several times and thought are my eyes imagining things,” Inas Hamid, from Pickering, Ont., told Toronto.

‘I do not have a water leak’

Hamid contacted after receiving a hefty water bill totaling $11,314. After getting this bill, she had someone come over to check for leaks but was told there wasn’t any.

“I found out I did not have a water leak; everything is intact, everything is in place,” said Hamid, who got her expensive water bill in 2023 and has been contesting it for the past year and a half with Durham Region’s water department.

When reached out to Durham Region, a spokesperson stated:

“The Region of Durham is aware of ongoing concerns related to a resident’s water billing history. In general, several factors may contribute to a higher-than-average water bill. Common causes include undetected plumbing issues like continuously running toilets and seasonal activities such as lawn watering, gardening, using sprinkler systems or pools and operating water softeners.”

The region added that homeowners should submit their water meter readings three times each year using a tele-read card.

“When readings aren’t submitted, bills are estimated. Over time this can lead to larger ‘catch-up’ bills once actual consumption data comes through. The region also has an appeal process which could result in rebates per the region’s by-laws,” it said.

In Hamid’s situation, her bill was lowered from $11,314 to $7,242. She paid the amount but still seeks reimbursement.

“I would like that money back because I am a student and single mom and it’s wrong,” she said.

‘I cannot pay the bill’

Scarborough resident Shahana Parvin was also shocked when her water bill came out to $8,129. Parvin has five bathrooms in her home and was told by the City of Toronto that there must be some issue with her plumbing.

“I was thinking I was going to have a heart attack. My husband isn’t working right now and both my parents have cancer-then suddenly I get this bill,” she told .

Parvin mentioned contacting the city after receiving the bill because she felt there must be an error with the meter since she hadn’t used any more water than usual.

She shared with that she hired two plumbers who both confirmed there weren’t any leaks.

“So I called another plumber; he said there is no leak-nothing,” Parvin said.

When reached out to the City of Toronto for comment on this matter, a spokesperson replied:

“We’re aware of the situation involving a homeowner who received a high-water bill due to increased usage between March and July 2025. We take these situations seriously and are dedicated to collaborating with the property owner for an equitable solution.”

The municipality added that it “promptly issued a high consumption notification letter in April after noticing an uptick in usage.”

“City staff determined that the meter continues providing accurate readings; earlier increases were due simply to higher usage which has since returned back to normal levels as of July 31st,” according to the City of Toronto statement.

“Based on information shared by the resident along with daily usage data collected prior-corrective measures were implemented by July 31st; we suspect that there might’ve been undetected leaking at play here. We welcome discussions about flexible payment plans without interest or late fees.”

Parvin still needsto pay her bill but firmly believes there hasn’t been any leak at her property.

“I cannot paythebill. Icannot afford (it),” shesaid.

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