Billings Water Audit Confirms Billing Accuracy Amid 15,000 Overdue Bills

A recent audit of Billings' water billing system found no systematic issues with meter or billing accuracy, confirming that the city is not at fault for the high water bills reported by many residents. Despite the audit's findings, which showed a 98.4% billing accuracy, about 15,000 out of 40,000 bills initially had errors due to transition issues with new billing software, causing significant delays and confusion. Some residents, like Scott Welter and Michael Uhrich, reported extraordinarily high bills and remain skeptical, accusing the city of poor communication and transparency. City Administrator Chris Kukulski acknowledged the credibility damage and communication failures but emphasized the audit confirmed the bills were corrected manually. Residents' dissatisfaction persists, with many refusing to pay until further resolution. The city hopes the audit results can restore trust and resolve pending disputes.