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Homeowner Says Leaky Pipe Landed Him On East Bay MUD Water Waster List

ALAMO (KPIX 5) – A homeowner who landed near the top of the East Bay Municipal Utility District's water waster list said a leaky pipe was to blame. He also questions the water district's shame campaign.

The home has a pool, a green lawn and a nice front yard, but homeowner Mike Carvin said it doesn't take 9,000 gallons a day to maintain his Alamo home.

"I care. And from the publicity, the way the media came across, I've got people livid at me for something that they don't know the facts about," Carvin told KPIX 5.

East Bay MUD released a new list, naming 1,000 people it deemed as water wasters, basically folks who used more than one-thousand gallons a day.

Carvin is second on the list. His latest bill says he used 9,066 gallons a day. Penalties and all, the bill was $6,300.

"I was blown away. And I hurt wasting water. That was my pain, wasting water more so than the bill," Carvin said.

The homeowner blames a broken pipe, which he fixed back in September.

Carvin showed KPIX 5 his June statement, which was $110 for two months, 266 gallons a day on average.

During the winter months, his bill is about $80, and usage is about 150 gallons a day.

Carvin, who owns a construction business, worries the public shaming will ruin his reputation. "It's not right, and it's painful," he said.

The homeowner said EBMUD should check people's previous water usage, instead of relying on a single statement, before releasing their names.

EBMUD turned down KPIX 5's request for an interview, but said they sent an appeal letter to all violators. Those who appealed did not make the list.

District spokesperson Abby Figueroa said two weeks ago, "We certainly don't think drought shaming is the way to go. We would rather have customers do the positive things and make the changes themselves."

Even without the leak, Carvin admits he would probably still be over 1,000 gallons a day during the hot summer months. He has been cutting back the last two years, saving about 25 percent each year.

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