November 2, 2004 – The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has announced that it will accelerate efforts to collect money owed on delinquent water/sewer bills. The Department has begun aggressive implementation of the City’s water cut-off policy in order to collect an estimated $35 million owed on delinquent water and sewer service accounts.
The City’s Code of Ordinances establishes a procedure for collecting past-due water/sewer accounts. Customers whose bills are more than 30 days overdue will have their service terminated and will be subject to payment in full, a deposit and a reconnection charge before service is restored.
“We can’t continue to allow our customers who pay their bills on time to subsidize those who are not paying their bills,” Commissioner Rob Hunter said.
To make it easier for customers to pay their bills, the City has extended customer service hours (8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.) and opened additional cashier windows at City Hall to reduce waiting times for bill payment. The City also is evaluating satellite payment locations and has begun a public information program that includes bill notices and inserts, ads, public service announcements, notification phone calls and reaching out to Neighborhood Planning Units and other community and neighborhood organizations.
The City has undertaken a number of initiatives, including water meter replacement, monthly billing and the creation of an in-house revenue collection team, to ensure that customers are billed fairly and that their bills accurately reflect usage.
Customers with past-due water/sewer bills can avoid service interruption and reconnection fees by paying their bills in full or by contacting the Department’s Customer Service Division at 404.658.-6500 to make payment arrangements. Staff will be on hand to assist customers from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. during the week. The City accepts cash, checks, credit and debit cards.
The Department is also cracking down on customers who steal water by bypassing the City’s connection process and/or reconnecting meters that have been disconnected for non-payment. The Department will pursue civil and/or criminal action against flagrant abusers.
“We thank the great majority of our customers who pay their bills on time. We are grateful for the trust placed in us and we have a responsibility to be good stewards of that trust,” Hunter said. “To that end, we are pursuing every available means for generating revenue.”
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