COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Some homeowners in Cobb County say they are having problems with their water bills. Some are seeing the charges skyrocket, while others are not getting their bills on time.
Cobb County officials tell Channel 2 Action News they believe the problem could possibly be connected to a billing delay.
“We’ve been in this house quite a while and we’ve never had problems with the water bills,” homeowner Mark Klein said.
Klein said he noticed a spike in his water bills after he discovered two different leaks on his property.
“It was in this flower bed. They had to dig this whole thing up,” Klein said. “This was another leak in our garage, but it was a very small leak. It wasn’t 22,000 gallons worth.”
“Even after fixing the leaks, we are still experiencing much higher bills than we’ve experienced over the past three years,” Klein said. “$40, $50 a month to $400, $300.”
Cobb County Water System gave Klein a credit, but he feels more should be done.
“I don’t feel that they gave us a fair credit based on what we experienced,” Klein said.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Michele Newell spoke with other homeowners who say they’ve noticed higher water bills and late bills.
“When I was looking at the bill, I noticed I was charged a tier-two rate where I normally am not,” homeowner Angie Mellen said.
She said she received a refund after she contacted the Cobb County Water System.
“They tried to put me off in the beginning but then they did the right thing,” Mellen said.
As for the late bills, Cobb County officials said customers may experience delays in receiving their bills because the contracted meter reading vendor is experiencing a staffing shortage.
Cobb County officials say that the current billing issue could be the problem because they haven’t received complaints beyond that.
If you live in Cobb County and you believe the billing problem put you into a higher tier on your bill, you can contact the county water system for an adjustment.
The county also has a leak adjustment policy, but you can only get a credit once per year.