City of phoenix water department Billed me for $10, 000 water and won't even take payments Phoenix Arizona

 It's a very long story but in short we have lived here 3 years. We had not received bills in awhile so I called. I spoke to an alleged supervisor who stated we needed to re-establish service as we had been gone out of state awhile and our daughter was living here. She said we'd be back billed approximately $1200 which was high but I understood we had to pay for out daughters water use. I agreed and she said she'd send bill. 1 week or so later I got a packet with several bills and a total of $10,000+. I called same person back and asked if she could please check the bills. They were erratic from one bill at $300 the next at $875 then the next back down to $175 and up and down over and over. She asked if we might have a leak. I later called a plumber to check. We weren't aware of any leak. Plumber came and didn't find one. We told him about bills and he stated a leak wouldn't be high one month down the next and up the next. Leaks don't stop start and stop then start again. I called the same person again to advise her of the findings. She said she agreed it was odd and would investigate bills but the person who does that is out not sure how long but she'd investigate and keep my account on hold till she figures it out, but it wouldn't be immediately. After a month or more water rep came out and shut off water. I called her and she immediately had it turned on again saying no one reads her notes. Same thing happened 2 weeks later and when I called her I left many voicemails with no call back. I then spent all day the next 2 weeks calling main and asking for her. I got different excuses as to where she was and often held for her for more than 45 minutes because she was allegedly busy...then when transferred to her free line it rang many times and went to voicemail. I talked to several supervisors after advising of what had been what I thought to be in progress, as far as investigating bills, but was told no notes existed and the supervisor Id spoken to previously remembered nothing. I was told we had to pay half of balance to get water on, and that bills can't be investigated. We were basically stuck with paying all of the money even though we know we never used that much water and it was virtually impossible. Not just that but they refused to even take $1000 as enough payment to turn water on. Half the balance or no deal. Mind you we also have dogs and kids. To boot it's 115 degrees outside. This seems so wrong!!! How can this be fair. At this point is rather pay the money to put in alternative water tanks but can't find provider.