When a Chicago property owner reviewed his bimonthly water bill in May, he discovered something unusual: He had to pay an amount of over $35,000, nearly 100 times the amount he normally paid.

He contacted the city and expected the solution to take months. With the help of NBC 5 Responds, the problem was resolved in a matter of days.

Enrique Espinosa prefers to be alone and spends a lot of time at home – a three-family house in northern Chicago that he also rents out to others.

Since he bought the building in 2014, he has never had a problem with his bi-monthly water bill.

“It varies, but it has never been above $381,” Espinosa said.

Imagine his surprise when he received a water bill in May that was nearly 100 times higher than his usual bill – a whopping $35,000.

“There must be an error,” said Espinosa. “I checked the counter and found that it was showing much less, about 3,000 points less than the Treasury Department’s figures.”

Espinosa immediately contacted the city, but he got nowhere. Instead of a solution, he was forced to set up a payment plan.

“We had no choice in the matter,” he said. “Either we pay or we do nothing. This is not a situation that I and my family wanted to be in.”

Sarah Moskowitz, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board in Chicago, says Espinosa’s “unfortunate” situation is not uncommon. About half of the calls to the CUB’s hotline are related to skyrocketing bills, she says.

“It’s becoming a war of attrition,” Moskowitz said. “People just end up getting taken down, like, ‘Okay, I’ll just pay it, I don’t see any way out.'”

Had Espinosa refused to work out a plan with the city, he would have faced a number of consequences, including debt foreclosure, wage garnishment, and more.

“They could penalize us severely,” he said. “I’m disabled, so we don’t have that much income to pay a bill like that… This is obviously a mistake – what should I do?”

So Espinosa turned to NBC 5 Responds.

“I’ve always seen how well it works,” he said. “I said, ‘Well, let’s try it. I’ve seen what it does for other people.'”

Our team contacted the finance department. Two days later, Espinosa received a call. The department had reviewed the charges and determined that the original amount was incorrect.

“I was shocked,” Espinosa said. “The $35,000 bill was a shock, but the problem was fixed within a few weeks – that was even more shocking.”

Espinosa’s bill was not an isolated incident. In the past year alone, NBC 5 Responds has received more than a dozen viewer complaints about rising water bills in Chicago — ranging from a few hundred dollars to as much as $130,000 in one billing period.

For people who receive unusually high water bills with seemingly no explanation, the Treasury Department says the following:

“If a customer has a question or concern about their bill, they should call our Customer Service Team at 312-744-4426. The customer may also request that the Water Resources Division investigate a possible outdoor leak if their own search of the property does not reveal a visible cause or reason for an increased water bill. They may make this request by calling 311. If the customer is not satisfied with the resolution received, they may contact the Customer Service Team again and request to speak with a supervisor.”

You can also call the Citizens Utility Board consumer hotline at 1-800-669-5556.

“We don’t help in all industries, but we can often refer you to the agency or resource that can help you with those things,” Moskowitz said.

And if that doesn’t work, Espinosa has a suggestion.

“Channel 5 is answering, it’s working,” he said.