Winnipeg man facing health crisis shocked by $107,000 water bill
Posted January 25, 2026 12:21 pm.
A 72-year-old Winnipeg man already dealing with serious health concerns says stress levels reached a breaking point after he was billed more than $107,000 for water by the City of Winnipeg.
Ernie Gruhn’s wife, Dianne Hart, says the massive bill arrived as the family was already navigating major medical challenges.
“On top of his health issues and dealing with possible ALS, we also have to deal with a $107,000,00 water bill, which is very stressful,” said Dianne Hart, wife of Ernie Gruhn.
Gruhn was recently billed the six-figure amount by the city. When he attempted to seek help, the family says they were met with resistance.
In recent months, Gruhn has been experiencing issues with his speech and has now been referred to an ALS clinic. Hart says the stress of managing his health was already overwhelming, but the unexpected bill made matters worse.
“He told me and showed me and I just about fell over, because obviously its an error, and I kind of laughed a little bit because it like, really? But then, trying to deal with it to get it fixed is been the hastle and that’s what been causing so much stress and ungrieved for us,” said Hart.
The couple says Gruhn’s son contacted the city’s 311 service on his behalf but was treated rudely by the person on the phone. That interaction prompted Gruhn to go downtown to deal with the issue in person.
While the Winnipeg Water and Waste Department representative he met face-to-face was more pleasant, the family says they were told nothing could be done and that the bill would need to be paid in full.
“We both kinda laughed about it, how much it was. And I said: ‘well, can someone come and fix it.’ and she said no, we don’t have anybody here to help you, and I said so how do I fixed it, she said you have to phone in, I said we tried that,” said Ernie Gruhn, who was billed $107,000 for water.
The couple says the city later told them the massive bill was the result of an incorrect meter reading. They say that explanation raises questions about how the charge was calculated and who is ultimately responsible, especially considering their previous water bill was just $140.
“Which you can see on the bill it says estimate, so it was an estimate and not our reading, it was not our error, it was their error. And to be rude to somebody who is trying to fix- who is already stressed out about $107,000,00 water bill, to be rude to them I just- I can not see the sense in that or wrap my head around the logic in that,” said Hart.
Hart says her biggest concern is what happens to people who don’t have the same level of support as her husband.
“Ernie has support, he has me, he has his family, so we can support and help him along the way but my biggest concern is what happens to people who don’t have the support that Ernie has, that have to deal with this on their own,” she said.
CityNews reached out to the City of Winnipeg, which says it is now looking into the matter and will follow up as soon as possible.
