Fury over spiking water bills in Buckeye has drawn the attention of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
A Nov. 22 letter to the city from the state's Consumer Information and Complaints unit included a homeowner’s written complaint about Buckeye’s billing practices.
The resident had been a customer of Global Water Resources, a private utility the city bought for $55 million. Buckeye took control of Global Water Resources’ infrastructure within the city limits in 2015, but an offshoot business still handles billing.
The purchase increased the city’s number of water customers by about 65 percent and was one of several reasons why the City Council recently canceled a plan to increase residential water rates next year. Depending on how much water people use, they could see their bill decrease.
The Attorney General's Office wrote to Buckeye that it’s trying to resolve the issue with Global Water Resources, and the letter was sent to the city so it can take any additional actions that are appropriate.
An attorney general spokeswoman said the office cannot comment on any potential ongoing investigations.
