Nonprofit’s water bill jumps from $300 to $3,000, but can’t get relief

Public works board denies request,
says hands are tied by regulators 

Sometimes, summertime water bills can be a little higher. Typically, however, not 10 times higher.  

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Oak Grove Cemetery in La Crosse found in the mail this summer – a water bill for nearly $3,000.

Typical water bill for the cemetery is less than $300 and Oak Grove budgets just $3,000 for water for an entire year.

Apparently, the big bill is the fault of a leaky water main.

Representatives of the nonprofit cemetery have asked for a little relief from city hall but that request was denied during a meeting of the city’s board of public works Tuesday.

The board said, in part, its hands are tied by state regulators.