DeKalb's Water Disconnection Ban Ends Wednesday

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — DeKalb County's five-year-long ban on disconnecting water service from residents disputing high water bills comes to an end Wednesday, and thousands of residents have already signed up for payment plans to avoid losing their access to water, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond told the newspaper that county officials expect the number to continue to climb.

“The only thing you can’t do is nothing,” Thurmond said. “You’ve got to take an affirmative step.”

The water disconnection moratorium was first put in place in 2016 due to ongoing complaints about erroneous water bills, Patch previously reported. Residents' water bills were, at times, exceeding $1,000 or more — in one case, The AJC reported a DeKalb woman got a bill for more than $19,000. Then-Interim CEO Lee May put the moratorium in place to prevent DeKalb residents from losing access to water while disputing the often egregious bills.

Part of the issue was attributed to previously-installed water meters that had a manufacturing defect, which caused it to malfunction whenever it came into contact with moisture. County officials said they've replaced thousands of these meters, installed electronic readers and are addressing other longstanding infrastructure issues, The AJC reported.

While the moratorium ends Wednesday, disconnections won't start immediately. The lifting of the ban means residents with past-due balances will have 30 days from their billing date to resolve issues before potentially losing service.

Installment plans are available for residents, lasting up to 84 months — or seven years — with a minimum payment of $25 per month. Other payment plans are also offered, but geared toward those with COVID-19-related hardships. Residents are also able to start the formal dispute process.

As long as some sort of option is taken, residents won't be subject to disconnection, according to a news release from the county.

“There’s no need to stress out about this,” Josephine Handy-Sewell, a member of DeKalb’s water billing and customer service advisory board, said during a meeting last week. “You just have to raise your hand and ask the question.”

Residential water service customers may avoid service disconnection in one of four ways, by:

• Paying the past due balance in full by Aug. 31, 2021. Customers who opt to pay the past due balance in full may request a credit of up to one year of late fees by emailing dekalbwaterbillingfn@dekalbcountyga.gov.
• Requesting an Installment Payment Agreement online at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/installment, by calling customer service at 404-378-4475, or by returning the form customers received via mail. Installment plan agreements are available with a maximum term of 84 months and minimum payments of $25 per month plus current charges.
• Requesting a COVID-19 Hardship Installment Plan if they are unable to pay their balance in full because of a financial hardship related to COVID-19. This plan can be requested at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/hardship.
• Disputing the bill. DeKalb County encourages all residents with unresolved water billing concerns to file a dispute by contacting DeKalb County Water Billing at 404-378-4475 or dekalbwaterbillingfn@dekalbcountyga.gov. Disputes will be addressed in the order they are received.

Related:

• Water Disconnection Moratorium Extended In DeKalb County
• DeKalb County To End Water Disconnection Moratorium After 5 Years