Vacant homes running up inflated water bills

An investigation by David Andreatta of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, N.Y.) found hundreds of vacant, boarded-up homes in Rochester are accruing huge water bills because the city Water Bureau does not turn off the water at many homes, and continues to bill the homes based on estimated water use when it does turn off the water. Some vacant houses are running up water bills in excess of $10,000 annually in a city where the average occupied house pays $317 a year for water.