EL PASO, Texas -- While many people are struggling to find money to pay for their stormwater fees, an east El Paso family is grappling with just its water bill. It told KFOX it is being charged for water it never used. Frank Rico is a working father. He works online and has a side job to make ends meet. What showed up in his mailbox this week has him scrambling for money.

"When I opened the water bill and I saw $300.01 on my water bill, I said, 'There has got to be a mistake,'" Rico told KFOX.

The bill claims the Rico family used 53,000 gallons of water. When it got the bill, it called the water company, which sent inspectors to the home.

“He noted on here that there was no leaks found and no recent adjustments made. He was unable to determine the high usage,” Rico said. The inspectors found nothing wrong with the home.

The family has no grass and no pool. Rico said it has no use for 53,000 gallons of water. Even though the inspectors from the water company found nothing wrong with the pipes or the meter, they told KFOX the problem is in the Rico family's home.

“Our records show that we were told that there was a problem with a running toilet. That would coincide with the spike in the water use,” said Karol Parker of the El Paso Water Utilities.

Rico is a handyman and also does lawn service, and he said he’s never had a problem with his toilets.

“I say it is a scam because there is no way in heck that I used all that water. There is no way they can prove to me that I used all that water,” he said.

The Rico family was forced to pay the $300 bill or have its water shut off. The water company said its policy is that once the family proves the problem is fixed, they will work with each other.