$3,353.26 Water Bill

Bob Kellum can’t believe what he saw when he opened his first bill from the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority on Saturday. “When I opened the bill and first looked at it I thought it was $33. Then I realized it was $3,353. That’s quite a bit more than his final bi-monthly bill from the city of Wilmington, his previous water provider, a bill that totaled less than 15 dollars. Bob Kellum says he’s not the only resident on Meshoe Street in Castle Hayne with an outrageously high water bill from the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority. “My neighbor directly beside me was around $2,500. Right down the street was $4,000 and to the other direction one bill was $8,000.”

The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority was, in part, created to make everything easier for residents of Wilmington and the unincorporated areas of New Hanover County, but Bob Kellum is not impressed with what he’s seen so far. “It puts doubt in your mind. We know the intent is to serve the community these utilities, but at the same time they need to be accountable to us. You never know, if there’s a mistake in our area in Castle Hayne there’s going to be mistakes anywhere in the county.”