Commissioners approve refund plan after Burger King overbilled during meter conversion

Richland County commissioners on Aug. 5 approved a staff recommendation to address a $20,841.89 overbilling to a Burger King account at 2246 South Main after a neighboring city converted water meters from cubic feet to gallons and the county failed to update its billing conversion factor.

Amanda Miller, who explained the billing issue to the board, said the county shares water-meter reads with the city that provides water to some county sewer customers. "In that change out, they went from cubic feet meters to gallon meters. Unfortunately, this poor customer, when that came through, we did not make the change from cubic feet to gallons. It was overlooked, and for the last 12 months, they have been overcharged," Miller said.

Officials told the board the total overcharge amounted to $20,841.89. County staff presented remedial options; the board moved, seconded and approved the option to credit half the overbilling to the account and to issue a refund check for the remainder. Amanda Miller told the board she had "no issue doing number 2," referring to the option under consideration.

Commissioners discussed how long it would take for the credited amount to be absorbed by future bills if the credit remained on the account. One speaker estimated it could take several years to use the credited amount through normal consumption; staff indicated it might take roughly three to seven years depending on usage patterns.

The motion to adopt staff's recommendation was moved and seconded on the record and carried. The transcript records commissioners answering in the affirmative during the roll call; a full, itemized roll-call tally is not fully captured in the available transcript excerpt.