Thousands of SF residents about to get a huge backdated water bill

Some 8,000 households in San Francisco haven't received a water bill in months, in some cases longer, because of a technical glitch, and they will soon be getting what could be whopping back assessments.

The SF Public Utilities Commission sent out letters this month warming customers that "certain water meters were accurately reading water usage but not transmitting that data to our billing system ... some customers will receive an updated bill right away. Others will receive it this fall."

For low-income people, the bill for back service could be a bit of a shock. The typical water and sewer bill for an apartment is around $50 a month, and for a single-family home it's around $140.

Ten months without a bill could mean a sudden payment of more than $1,000.

Most people pay their bills when they come in, and don't track services they get and are never billed for.

"We are aware this may be a hardship for some, and the SFPUC plans on accommodating them," PUC General Manager Dennis Herrera told me today.

That means you can get a payment plan for the back debt—but since people will be billed both for the old payments and the current payments, the financial impact could last a while.

That may lead some to call on the SFPUC to forgive some of the back debt. It was, after all, the city's problem.

If you get a huge back water bill, you can go to sfpuc.gov/PaymentPlan or call 415 554 3403.

Full disclosure: I got onto this story because I was one of the ones who got a letter from the SFPUC. I do not plan to ask for any accommodation.