A household in Xi'an's Beilin District is locked in a dispute after a water meter recorded over 400 cubic meters of consumption within just 12 days, despite the family reporting normal usage and periods of absence. The issue emerged shortly after the completion of a water supply renovation project, leaving the resident to battle both the property management and the contractor over responsibility.

Ms. Wang, a resident on the fifth floor of Unit 7 in the Sunshine Jiayuan community, explained that her neighborhood is an older complex that previously relied on a communal water storage tank with a single master meter. Residents paid water fees in advance to the property office, which settled accounts with the water utility. In late December 2025, the community began a water system upgrade. The utility's contractor handled outdoor pipe work, while a separate team hired by the property management was tasked with indoor connections.

On July 22, 2026, workers installed a new water valve for Ms. Wang's apartment. However, a check in mid-August revealed that between August 1 and 12, her household had consumed 410 cubic meters of water, with daily readings ranging from 20.87 to 28.3 cubic meters. "We just live a normal life, how could we use that much? Some days the house was empty, but the meter kept spinning," Ms. Wang said.

After reporting the anomaly, Ms. Wang said a utility inspector confirmed the meter itself was functioning correctly. The problem, according to the inspector, lay in the connection between the new and old piping systems. The old pipes and meter had not been fully disconnected when the new valve was fitted, leaving the two systems linked and causing the meter to run continuously. The utility stated it could not directly resolve the fee dispute and advised her to negotiate with the contractor.

Ms. Wang shared an official response from Xi'an Water (Group) Co., Ltd., which acknowledged that the cause was the indoor connection pipes not being completely severed from the old system. The utility's staff closed her old water valve on August 12, after which the meter readings returned to normal.

The property management company, however, relayed a different story from the contractor. The contractor claimed that workers had instructed every resident, including Ms. Wang, to shut off the old pipeline's valve after installation. They suggested that Ms. Wang had opened it herself, possibly due to low water pressure, and therefore bore responsibility for the resulting charges.

Ms. Wang firmly denied these allegations. "On the day they finished, the workers said nothing to me. They just left after the installation. As residents, we don't understand these pipe and valve systems; we just pay for water," she said.

A community-led mediation attempt failed, as the contractor did not attend, and the property management insisted that any construction quality issues were the contractor's responsibility. On August 19, community officials advised Ms. Wang to pursue legal action to resolve the dispute.

Industry experts note that the switch between old and new pipelines is a critical step in such renovation projects. If the systems are not properly isolated, pressure differences can cause water to flow continuously through connection points, leading to meter spinning or more severe issues like cross-contamination. Professionals argue that leaving the crucial safety step of closing the old valve to residents is insufficient; a technical, thorough separation should be performed by the contractor.

Legal counsel, including partner Li Yaohua of Beijing Deheng (Xi'an High-tech Zone) Law Firm, points to Article 1165 of the Civil Code, which holds that a person at fault for causing damage to another's property must bear liability. Since the utility's inspection confirmed the cause was improper installation and incomplete disconnection of pipelines, there is a direct link between the contractor's actions and Ms. Wang's financial loss. The advice is to request a formal written confirmation from the water utility to preserve evidence, seek resolution through housing or water management authorities, and file a lawsuit if necessary.

As of this report, no final settlement has been reached regarding the abnormal water bill, and the matter remains under further investigation.