Virginia restaurant gets $51,594 water bill after three years of zero readings

A Richmond, Virginia, restaurant has received a water bill of $51,594.99 after a damaged meter transmitter was found to have been recording zero consumption. Social 52 Kitchen and Craft Bar said the Department of Public Utilities billed it more than $50,000 in a single month because of a billing error dating back to 2023. Co-owner James Baldwin told 8News he "never knew anything was wrong", adding that the company's water and gas bills are on autopay. The department said that, where no consumption is reported, customers are charged only a monthly service charge.

How a damaged meter transmitter led to a $51,594 water bill

The Department of Public Utilities told 8News it had introduced several process improvements over the past year. One of these, the department said, was to verify zero consumption reads for meters. During that process, the department found that the meter transmitter at the restaurant had been damaged, which had resulted in zero consumption reads. According to the PEOPLE, the department said its workers investigated the problem and billed the restaurant accordingly. The department also explained how the billing works: customers receive a monthly service charge, so if no water consumption is reported, that charge is the only amount billed.

Restaurant owner questions three-year billing delay

Baldwin questioned why the problem had not been identified sooner. He said a delay of a month or two, or even around six months, would be understandable, but that three years had passed without payment being received on an account that apparently owed so much. He said he believed it must be a systemic issue, or it would have come to light more quickly. Baldwin told the outlet that the company's water and gas bills are on autopay. The Department of Public Utilities acknowledged to 8News that receiving a large bill can be challenging for customers. According to the department, its priority is to make sure the bill is accurate, after which it works with the customer to make payments manageable. According to the restaurant's history, local outlet Richmond BizSense, Social 52 opened in 2013. The restaurant closed temporarily in 2018 for a three-month remodel, which former co-owner Walied Sanie told Richmond BizSense included changes to the layout, furniture and menu.