Art Pillart shows the notice telling him water service to his apartment was shut off Monday. He says a $7,000 unpaid bill from a former tenant is the reason he has no water.

A $7,000 water bill apparently unpaid by a previous tenant has resulted in service shutoffs Monday for more than a dozen people living in four apartments in Butler.

Pennsylvania American Water crews shut off water service to a duplex at 329 and 327 E. Locust St. and one behind it at 329½ and 327½ E. Locust St. around 8 a.m., said Art Pillart, who moved into 329 E. Locust St. about a month ago with his son, Wilbert, fiancée Ashley Cousins, and her mother, Dawn Cousins.

“I can’t even take a bath or wash my hands,” Pillart said.

A shut-off notice from the water company left on his door last week had the name of a previous tenant and said the water was being shut off because $7,000 is owed on the account.

“I don’t know how you let someone get $7,000 overdue,” Pillart said.

He said he and his fiancée set up an account under her name when they moved in about a month ago and sent the water company a copy of their lease, which it requested.

Dawn Cousins said she called the water company after seeing the notice and was told the account was not created.

“This should have been taken care of three weeks ago,” Pillart said.

He said he called the water company Monday and was asked to forward another copy of the lease. He said he can’t send it from his home and will have to use a computer or fax machine at the Butler Public Library to transmit the lease.

No problems have occurred with the other utilities servicing the duplex.

“Everything’s fine except for the water company,” Pillart said.

Ralph Birchbigler, who owns both duplexes, said problems between tenants and utility companies are common, but he doesn’t understand how an unpaid bill could reach such a high amount.

“The lady who was there before him ran up the water bill to $7,000. Why did the water company let her run the bill up so high?” Birchbigler said. “I don’t know why they’re not going after her.”

The previous tenant moved out in March or April, he said.

The water company asks tenants to send copies of their leases when setting up new accounts, he said.

“I told (Pillart) he had to send his lease to the water company and he did,” Birchbigler said. “I don’t know what to do. If I called and talked to them for 10 hours it wouldn’t do any good.”

Pennsylvania American Water spokesman Gary Lobaugh declined to comment, saying the company does not discuss a customer issue with anyone other than the customer.