Belgian Faces €11,000 Water Bill for Million-Liter Claim

A 56-year-old Belgian man from Ostend is refusing to pay an €11,825 water bill after his utility company claimed he used nearly a million liters of water over four years. Fritz Covens, an NMBS railway employee who lives alone, says the bill is impossible and has filed an objection with water company Farys, as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws.

A Bill 22 Times His Annual Usage

Covens normally consumes about 40 cubic meters of water per year. The bill he received covers a regularization of estimated consumption between 2021 and 2025, totaling 909 cubic meters—roughly 22 times his typical annual usage and equivalent to more than 6,000 baths.

“How Farys arrives at that consumption is a mystery to me,” Covens told HLN. “I received a bill of over 11,000 euros for a million liters of water, while I live alone. No way I’m paying that.”

Covens did not submit meter readings for several years, so Farys worked with estimates. However, a Farys technician confirmed there was no leak on the meter, and Covens had two new boilers installed, ruling out a hidden leak.

Not an Isolated Case

An (49), a recently divorced mother from Dendermonde, received a final bill of €6,257 from Farys. The company estimates her consumption at 129 cubic meters per year, compared to the average of 89 cubic meters for a family of three. She hired an expert at her own cost who found no hidden leak.

“I first thought it was a mistake,” An said. “We live in a modest terraced house without a big garden, jacuzzi, or swimming pool. My son is allowed to shower for one song, then the tap goes off. We live frugally.”

These cases follow other high-profile incidents. In June, HLN reported on an elderly couple from Deurle who received a €76,281 water bill after a leaking pipe in their crawl space went undetected for over a year. A single mother from the Bruges region was ordered by a justice of the peace to pay nearly €19,000 over five years after a kitchen leak went unnoticed for two years.

Complaints Surge 20%

The Flemish Ombudsman Service received 383 complaints about water companies in the first half of 2026—a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. Six out of ten complaints concern De Watergroep, followed by Pidpa, Farys, and Water-link. Farys and Water-link have already received as many complaints in 2026 as in all of 2025.

Myriam Parys, head of the Flemish Ombudsman Service, attributes the increase partly to the rollout of digital water meters and greater media attention. “It’s mainly about abnormally high water bills, discussions about regulations, and problems with damage or takeover files after a move,” she said.

Consumer organization Testaankoop reports similar problems. “Customers sometimes go months without clear information about their consumption and are then confronted with high final bills,” said spokesperson Laura Clays.

What Consumers Can Do

Consumers facing abnormally high water bills should first check their meter reading, hire a leak detection company or plumber, and keep all evidence. Disputes must be filed with the water company within six months of the bill date, and consumers can escalate to the Flemish Ombudsman Service for mediation. The VRT NWS consumer program WinWin has also detailed how consumers can test their own meters and detect hidden leaks.

In some cases, an amicable settlement (minnelijke schikking) can provide relief. Conditions include applying within six months of receiving the bill, consumption at least 50% higher than normal, and at least 100 cubic meters involved. The leak must be found and repaired at the consumer’s own cost first. In 60% of cases, water companies agree to the settlement.

Farys Responds

Farys spokesperson Arno Morsa said a late meter reading doesn’t automatically exclude a settlement, but customers must submit readings annually and act as a “good householder.” Farys will replace Covens’s analog meter with a digital one and have the old meter tested by the FOD Economie for errors.

Covens must pay by August 25 and has filed an objection. As the digital water meter rollout continues across Flanders—mandated by a 2022 decree requiring all homes to have digital meters by end of 2030—the hope is that real-time consumption tracking and leak alarms will prevent such billing shocks in the future. For now, thousands of Flemish households are left wondering how they ended up with bills they never expected.