Customers shocked by water and sewer bills face ‘unacceptable’ call wait times to speak with city staff

When her water and sewer bill suddenly tripled, Faye Tardiff says she was quick to report the apparent error.

She then submitted two actual readings to Winnipeg water and waste and emailed the service multiple times. About a month later, with no clear answers, she waited hours on the phone to ensure the charges would be reassessed, Tardiff said.

“I have the luxury of being able to sit on hold on speakerphone for two hours and keep working…. (For) somebody who perhaps works construction, retail or teaching, where you can’t sit on the phone for two hours, how do (they) get this addressed? (And) how many people is the city overbilling like this? This is terrible,” she said.

“How many people is the city overbilling like this? This is terrible.”

The ordeal began when the city sent an estima