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ALTADENA, Calif. () — Eaton Fire victims’ homes burned down to the ground, and they haven’t used water on their properties for more than a year, but now, bills from their water company are back.
Now, angry Altadena residents are reaching out to 7 On Your Side Investigates, calling the bills unjust and unfair.
One of them is Ricky Parish, who says even the water meter on his lot was destroyed. His property is mostly bone-dry dirt.
7 On Your Side asked him how much water he has used on the property since his home burned down to the ground.
“Absolutely none, there’s no pipes,” Parish answered.
So after receiving no water bills since the Eaton Fire, Parish says he was stunned when, earlier this month, he received a bill for $37.85. Most of the bill is for a “water service charge,” but a few bucks of the bill are for a “catastrophic loss fund.”
“I thought, ‘This is ridiculous. How can they charge us for something that we don’t have?'” Parish said. “We haven’t used water in over a year.”
Retiree Cynthia Perello received the same bill.
“I think that this is something that is outrageous,” Perello told 7 On Your Side.
SEE ALSO: Whistleblower complaint alleges emergency management employee slept during part of Eaton Fire
A current OEM employee is alleging a now-former colleague, who had a crucial role as the Eaton Fire raged the first night, was, at times, asleep on the job.
After the fire turned her home to ash, Perello left for France, where she says the cost of living is significantly cheaper.
“It just adds insult to injury because I retired, and I’m on a fixed income. And so, you know, we’re on a really serious budget now,” Perello said.
Both Perello and Parish are customers of the Lincoln Avenue Water Company (LAWC) based in Altadena.
“Revenue from these charges directly supports fixed operational costs, maintenance, repairs, and system improvements, particularly in the wake of ongoing recovery efforts,” LAWC told 7 in a statement. “This is not a new fee… With the loss of 58% of our customers, continuing to waive this charge is not sustainable.”
LAWC went on to say it is trying to secure state funds to help pay for repairs and hopes government money will allow it to again suspend the charges.
Customers like Parish and Perello are still livid.
“Really not fair to us after what we’ve been through. After all the things that we’ve had to endure, I mean, I’m standing here. My property is dirt,” Parish said.
Eyewitness News reached out to Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose office says the supervisor thinks the best path forward is consolidating the three private water companies serving Altadena.
Barger says relying on a small patchwork of small, private water companies to rebuild on their own is not realistic after this significant of a fire.
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