A local business owner is at odds with the city of El Paso over how his water and trash service bills should be paid. As a result, the water has been turned off at his business since October.

Martin Correa owns Martin Transmissions on Alameda Avenue in east El Paso.

Correa uses an outside company to take care of his trash disposal, like most business in the area.

He does not pay bills for solid waste service to the city of El Paso, because he uses the outside company, but he does pay bills for his water.

He also does not pay a city-mandated environmental service charge, because he already pays it to El Paso Disposal, the company he uses to take care of his trash, and this is where the city has a problem.

Because the water, trash and environmental fees are all grouped into one bill, the city has shut off water at his business and has threatened to shut it off at his home.

"Why do I have to pay the environmental fee to the city if I am already paying it to El Paso Disposal? Why do I have to pay it twice?" Correa said.

"The environmental fee is just a way for the city to basically charge you more for your property tax. What does it give you? They clear dead animals from the street and clean up some waste, which is exactly what you pay your property tax for," he added.

But the city says Correa has to pay the environment fee even if he is already paying the same fee to El Paso Disposal for his trash.

"Mr. Correa needs to talk to his disposal company about the environmental fee; he is mandated to pay the fee to the city. As for him already paying the fee to El Paso Disposal, they need to talk to each other and figure out some type of agreement," said Kurt Fenstermacher, assistant director for environmental services for the city of El Paso.

The City Council voted for an environmental fee in 2006, and it took effect in 2007.

Correa tells KFOX14 the city says he owes more than $800, and not having water at his property for the last several months is starting to hurt business.

"It's frustrating telling your customers that they can't even use the restroom because we don't have water hooked up. I even had to let my son go from work," Correa said.