MOUNT JULIET, Tenn. -- A Wilson County water company that had under billed its Mount Juliet customers for two years initially told them they would not have to pay the extra money because it was not their mistake.

However, the city is not agreeing with the water company and several businesses may have to pay up.

One of the businesses affected by the mistake is a Chick-Fil-A, whose normal water bill should be $700. However, because of the billing problem, they were only paying about $140 a month for the last two years.

Chick-Fil-A owner Ray Daniels said he was shocked by the high bill he recently received.

“We owe $9,358,” said Daniels.

Thirteen business including Chick-Fil-A, Olive Garden, Fulin’s Asian Cuisine in the Providence Marketplace and Mount Juliet’s Little League Park were told by the water company, West Wilson Utility District, that for the last two years they have been under billed because of a mistake reading the meters.

“We had no idea that the mistake was going on,” said Daniels.

West Wilson has agreed to forgive the debt, but since the city of Mount Juliet already paid for the water and sewage to be treated through Metro Water, some city leaders feel the businesses should have to pay the back charges.

Olive Garden would have to pay $32,000, and the Little League Park would have to pay $7,000.

“There’s about $70,000 that was under billed, and it wasn’t the city of Mount Juliet’s mistake either, but yet we did in fact capture that sewage and treat it,” said Mount Juliet Commissioner Ed Hagerty.

Hagerty said there are several options being discussed, but the most popular one appears to be billing the businesses only the direct cost for sewage, no other fees like maintenance.

“So, whatever amount of time they were under billed, they would have that same amount of time to correct the under billing,” said Hagerty.

“If my business were to make a mistake like that, I certainly don’t have the choice to go back to my consumers and ask them to pay additional monies,” said Daniels.

There is also some discussion of making taxpayers fit the bill or splitting the costs between the city and businesses.

A Mount Juliet Commission meeting will be held on Monday to further discuss the issue.