The deadline for a Howard County group to make recommendations about unmetered water billing has been extended, county officials said yesterday.

The six-member advisory group has been investigating water billing practices in apartment and condominium complexes where residents are charged for water based on an estimate of how much they use instead of their actual consumption.

The group was supposed to present its findings, which could include suggestions for regulation, to the County Council on Sunday. However, officials decided to postpone the presentation until Dec. 12 - when the new council will met at 8:15 a.m. in the George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive.

At least 20 housing complexes in the county use unmetered water billing. Some apartment residents pay more than $40 a month for their water, an earlier Sun article showed. That amount is the equivalent of what a family of four living in a detached home pays for its water and sewer, county officials have said.