Five Washington utilities customers are receiving a combined $63,861.69 in adjustments to their utility accounts.

As a whole, the customers were overcharged $38,505.98 for water usage and $42,125.89 for sewer usage.

The Washington City Council, during its Dec. 8 meeting, authorized the adjustments to eight accounts. Some of the five customers have more than one account. The adjustments were made because of incorrect and/or over billing on the city’s part, according to memorandum from Allen Lewis, the city’s public works director, to the mayor and council members. A review of utility accounts discovered that incorrect rates were entered for water and sewer services, according to the memorandum.

“Well, if we made the mistake, we need to reimburse them,” Councilman Bobby Roberson said. “I hope we’re looking at this. This is not the first time this has happened.”

The memorandum also notes the customers who should have been paying stormwater fees were undercharged as a whole by $16,770.18, according to the memorandum.

“Staff believes that full adjustments on all accounts be made due to the fact that the rates erroneously used from the inception of the accounts which did not provide the utility account holder any comparison data to work from. We also believe that instead of a credit show on these accounts that each customer be issued a check in the full amount of the adjustment due to the amount some of the individual accounts should be refunded and that they have been overcharged for a much as 7-9 years,” reads the memorandum.

One customer was overcharged $5,246.06. Another customer was overcharged $12,401 on one account and $47,087.04 on another account. This customer should have been billed $12,625.68 in stormwater fees. A third customer was overcharged $2,071.26 on one account (water only) and $9,305.73 on another account. This customer was undercharged $1.174.50 in stormwater fees. A fourth customer was overcharged $615.76 on one account and $901.66 on another account. This customer should have been charged $1,188 in stormwater fees. The fifth customer was overcharged $3,003.36. Since May 2009, this customer should have been billed $1.782 in stormwater fees.

In a related matter, the council authorized issuing a $2,198.02 credit to Ambrose Auto Sales.

The auto dealer, which has three area lights, had been charged for 34 months for having four area lights.