If what we have been told is true, then Selma Water Works has a serious billing problem and one that should be quickly evaluated.

In Tuesday’s edition of the Times-Journal, it was reported a Lamar Street resident has had her water cutoff because she was unable to pay off a one-month charge of more than $2,000 from June 2010.

In the article, Queen Jackson, said she took the bill, that was nearly 50 times larger than any previous month’s charge, to the department, only to be given no satisfaction and told she owed the amount and was expected to pay the amount.

When asked about the suspicious charge by the newspaper, the department’s attorney, Collins Pettaway said the following: “Underground pipes may burst and so, you might have a leak under your house and not even know it.

“Even toilets run from time-to-time and you’d be surprised how much that can run your bill up, so you want to watch out for that as well.”

Good advice, but it in no way can even come close to explaining why a customer, who has said she has continued to pay off a portion of the bill even as she buys bottled water to bath, wash clothes and live, would have a bill 50 times larger than any previous month.

Did Ms. Jackson buy and have installed a number of Olympic-sized swimming pools at her Lamar Street home and then fill them up in June 2010? No.

Was Ms. Jackson simply being a good neighbor and providing watering and sprinkling service to all of her neighbors, ensuring their yards would remain green and their flowers fresh? No.

There is a very good reason as to why Ms. Jackson has a bill this size, but no one has been able to provide that reason, or one that anyone can believe.

The Selma Water Works have a lot of explaining to do.