Residents in the hamlets of Hawthorne and Thornwood in the town of Mount Pleasant say they have seen a spike in their water bills.

One resident says she has heard about and experienced bills jumping from about $70 a quarter up to as much as $300.

However, officials say that residents may not realize they are using extra water.

"I know that if you have one toilet that's running... it will double your water bill," says Mount Pleasant Town Supervisor Carl Fungenzi. "The bill you get to your home is just for the water that passes through your meter - that's it, that's all you're paying for."

While the weather this summer was pretty much the same as last year, News 12 meteorologists say that this year has seen several long stretches without any rainfall.