Man "Used Up" 10 Million Gallons of Water in 2 Months (2 photos)

Ashley Hudspeth, 35, from a suburb of Oklahoma City, was shocked to receive an abnormal water bill. It claimed he had used more than 10 million gallons in two months.





When Ashley Hudspeth, 35, from a suburb of Oklahoma City, saw his water bill, he thought there was a misunderstanding. The amount due was $47,580.58, an amount that was almost 600 times higher than his usual expenses. He usually pays around $70, but this time he allegedly used more than 10 million gallons of water in 62 days (enough to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools).

"I thought maybe I hadn't gotten my bill. But when I realized it was for me, I just laughed because it was so ridiculous. Am I watering a rainforest?" Hudspeth recalls.



Trying to sort out the situation only caused stress: it was almost impossible to get through to the water utility's customer service. Instead of an operator, there were only endless voice menus and dropped calls.

"My wife and I have been calling all evening, but no one has answered," the American complained.

In desperation, the man posted a picture of the bill on Reddit, and the post immediately went viral.

"Did you open SeaWorld at home?", "This guy single-handedly put out forest fires in California," the forum users wrote.

However, among the jokes, there were also some useful tips: people shared stories of how they dealt with errors in utility bills and suggested solutions. User support helped Hudspeth feel more confident in his fight with the company.

After several days of trying to contact the dispatcher and a long conversation with a company representative, they finally managed to find out the cause of the incident, which was an error when replacing the meter. The amount was recalculated, and the man had to pay only $119.

Hudspeth admitted to feeling relieved, but noted how dangerous the situation could have been:

"Imagine if I had autopay set up - tens of thousands of dollars just got written off. It's crazy," he added.