In a devastating blow that threatens to erase a lifetime of hard work, a Brooklyn homeowner is facing financial ruin over a colossal water bill for a leak he never knew existed.
Michael DiPrima, 64, embodies the American Dream. A first-generation Italian-American and a retired MTA station installer, he scrimped and saved for decades to finally own his modest two-family home in Gravesend. That dream is now a nightmare, jeopardised by a shocking demand for over $20,000 (£16,300) from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The Shocking Discovery
The crisis began not with a drip, but with a letter. DiPrima received a notice that his water bill had skyrocketed to an unimaginable sum. The culprit? A silent, underground leak between the city's main and his water meter—a section of pipe for which the homeowner is inexplicably held responsible.
"This is everything I worked for my whole life," DiPrima told DailyMail.com, his voice heavy with the weight of his predicament. "I'm going to lose my house over a water bill. It's not right."
A System Stacked Against Homeowners
DiPrima's case highlights a deeply controversial and seemingly unfair policy in New York City. While the DEP owns the water infrastructure, the financial burden for leaks on private property falls entirely on the resident, even if they are undetectable without excavation.
Despite fulfilling his duty by promptly hiring a licensed plumber to fix the leak upon discovery, the DEP's policy offers no relief. The department acknowledged the leak but flatly denied his appeal for a bill adjustment. His only remaining option is to apply for a one-time, discretionary Leak Adjustment Programme, which offers no guarantee of forgiveness.
Staring Into the Abyss
The financial toll is crippling. The outstanding bill has now been rolled into his property taxes. If left unpaid, the city could foreclose on his home, seizing the asset into which he has poured his life's savings.
"I'm getting nothing out of this. The water went right back into the city's ground. I didn't use it," he argued, emphasising the absurdity of being charged for thousands of gallons of water he never consumed.
This story is more than one man's struggle; it's a stark warning to homeowners everywhere about the hidden vulnerabilities of property ownership and the terrifying power of municipal bureaucracy.
