Portland Water Bureau follows up with family who received $17k water bill

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland Water Bureau completed an investigation after a family received a $17,000 water bill. 

PWB found that the family demolished a dwelling unit behind the home. The bureau believes the pipes shared with the main house were left exposed. During the winter freeze, those exposed pipes burst, causing more than 600,000 gallons of water to leak out, which caused the massive water bill.

PWB said it will adjust the bill to somewhere in the range of $750-$950. 

“That’s what their bill will probably come to based upon past usage, same time last year based upon the number of people in the home, based upon what we saw from the data logger that we had out there the past week,” said Quisha Light, PWB’s Director of Customer Service. 

PWB reads water meters once quarterly. They expect to install smart meters in 2026 that can show real-time water usage.

If a person receives a high water bill, they can contact PWB via their website or call 503-823-7770.