For many university students, the beginning of a new academic year is an exciting time. But roommates Tatum Gastis and Lily Soubliere, who live at Foundry Lofts in Thorold, Ont., are feeling something closer to wariness after being charged $1,600 for one month of utilities at the student residence in June.<\/p>\n
Gastis, Soubliere and a third roommate had already left Foundry Lofts, a student housing complex in Thorold, Ont., for the summer when they received a bill from Wyse Meter that broke down to $534.26 each. <\/p>\n
“A $500 bill is crazy,” Soubliere told CBC News, noting no one has been living in the apartment since May.<\/p>\n
The month before, they paid about $250 in utilities, or $85 each. <\/p>\n
A big chunk of the apartment\u2019s high bill in June was related to wastewater use, costing $926.33.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t think of any explanation for that,\u201d said Soubliere.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially with no one there, no one flushing,\u201d Gastis added.<\/p>\n
When Gastis\u2019s mother, Kelli Gastis, looked over the bill, she noticed 361,000 litres of water usage \u2014 enough to fill about 1,600 bathtubs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat can\u2019t be consumed in a month,\u201d said Kelli.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless there\u2019s flooding for the whole building from our apartment,\u201d Gastis added.<\/p>\n
![\"building](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789557267_900_default.jpg\")
Foundry Lofts, a student residence in Thorold, Ont., has been subject to negative reviews online and media coverage of complaints from former students who lived there about their utility bills. (Diona Macalinga\/CBC)No leak or plumbing issue: utility company<\/p>\n
In an email to CBC Niagara, Wyse Meter said they alerted Foundry Lofts of a \u201cpotential leaking fixture\u201d on July 20 when they began noticing Gastis and Soubliere\u2019s high water usage.<\/p>\n
Days after CBC Niagara reached out to the company, in September, a Wyse technician came to inspect their water meter, Gastis said. The technician told the students the meter was \u201coperating and recording usage accurately,\u201d Wyse Meter said in an email to CBC Niagara.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo leak or plumbing issue has been identified,\u201d Wyse Meter said.<\/p>\n
Gastis says the utility company never gave the roommates a reason for the high water bill except a follow-up email from the Wyse technician which reads that water was possibly \u201crunning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are positive this isn\u2019t the case,\u201d said Gastis, who insisted no one has been staying at the suite during the summer.<\/p>\n
Kelli says she partially covered her daughter’s bill and that Wyse Meter told her it would put Gastis’s account on hold while they investigate. But instead, she saw the company charging the account late fees.<\/p>\n
“If you pay late … it’s more expensive,” said Gastis. “I would have probably been scared to not pay [or fought] against it.” <\/p>\n
CBC Niagara reached out to Foundry Lofts and Integris Student Living, which operates the building, for comment, but did not get a response, despite following up.<\/p>\n
Wyse Meter told CBC Niagara it has “absorbed” Gastis and Soubliere\u2019s July and August bills \u2014 which was about $2,386.53 caused by “unusually high water and wastewater usage.”<\/p>\n
Gas use not included in bill<\/p>\n
While reviewing her daughter and Soubliere’s bill, Kelli saw there was no indication of the students’ gas consumption.<\/p>\n