Toho Water Authority outlines causes of high bills, accelerates device replacement after St. Cloud complaints

Toho Water Authority told the St. Cloud City Council on Feb. 13 that a combination of a recent rate increase, unusually high irrigation and premature failures of remote meter communications devices are the main drivers behind recent customer complaints about high water bills.

Todd Swingle, chief executive officer of Toho Water Authority, told the council the utility began seeing customer concerns in December and launched a dedicated web page and email address in early January for bill inquiries. He said Toho is offering individual bill reviews, free irrigation consultations and bill adjustments where appropriate.

Swingle and other Toho staff emphasized the drivers: a rate change that took effect in October 2024; higher tiered charges for irrigation above 10,000 and 20,000 gallons; local city fees such as stormwater and solid‑waste moved onto Toho bills after annexations; and equipment problems with MTU/MIU communications devices that report meter readings to the office.

Why it matters

The mix of causes affects remedies and who pays. Rate changes and city fees are recurring and visible on customers’ bills; unusually high irrigation or a pool fill is a customer issue that Toho can help diagnose; device failures and reading-estimate procedures can cause billing errors that…