POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Our After-hours team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to emergencies. Emergencies can be classified as major leaks, or any malfunction that causes a home to be without water, roads to be washed out, or threaten life, limb, or property.

– Restoration of service due to non-payment is not considered an emergency. The Utility Company will assess all leaks, but may elect to fix them during the business day, when daylight and utility location (gas, electricity, etc.) make the repair safer for personnel. The utility company is responsible for the repair and maintenance of water lines in the road, and onto the utility easement(s). This includes all leaks from the main line to the meter box in a customer’s yard. The utility company will therefore respond to leaks and fix leaks in the meter box and on the road-side of the meter box. All leaks between the meter box and the house are on a customer’s private water line and are the responsibility of the customer. We recommend a plumber be obtained to fix leaks on a private line.

Customers that are moving into a previously-occupied home with previous water service must pay an Establishment Fee to start water service into the new customer’s name. This fee also pays to obtain an initial read on the meter and unlock the meter valve.

In some cases, customers may move into properties that have never had water service, but for which the Tap Fees have already been paid. In these cases, the customer may be required to pay the Meter fee. The meter fee pays to install a meter and obtain initial reads. The utility company will install the meter and meter box on the property, but will not plumb your home service line into the meter. Customers paying the meter fee will not have to pay an Establishment Fee. 

Customers will be required to provide closing documents for the property. Renters are required to provide signed documentation (lease or deed, etc.) for the property, and photo ID to verify that the resident is legally entitled to occupy the residence. Renters will be required to pay a $100 deposit, in addition to the Establishment Fee, $150 in total. Service addresses that have had a history of delinquent accounts and changing ownership may require a deposit as well. Deposits are applied to the final balance on the account. Any remaining deposits will be refunded in the form of a check to the account holder.

All customers, in subscribing to water service, agree to and will become subject to the Terms and Conditions of service. Please visit https://waterga.com/apply-for-services/ for more information and ways to apply.

In order to request a tap-in, customers must call the office to request a ‘survey’ for their tap-in. The survey will consist of maintenance personnel determining the distance between the property and an adequate water main, and accounting for the materials and labor required to pay for the tap-in. Some tap-ins may cost more than others based upon the length of pipes, obstacles (boring under roads, etc.) or other extenuating circumstances. After the survey is complete, customers will be notified of the cost of the tap-in. If customers wish to proceed with the tap-in, customers will be required to pay in full and apply for service. Then WUM will notify UPC (Utility Protection) of our intent to dig in the area. After receiving permission to dig, we will install your service as soon as possible thereafter.

If a customer would like to transfer their existing service to a new location, please complete a new service application and indicate your previous service location. Customers can apply for service here, or call/email our office for further assistance.

Every effort is made to read meters according to 60-day cycle. Sometimes holidays/weekends, weather, and unexpected emergency work requires us to alter our meter reading schedule slightly. If the water usage seems higher or lower than what seems is normal, please compare the meter reading on the bill with the reading on the meter. The meter reads like the odometer on a car, if using an updated Smart Meter, please wait for the automated display to show a read with a padlock symbol next to it. If after making these comparisons, customers feel there is an error, customers are encouraged to call the office during normal business hours and we will review the current usage. If you cannot verify your meter reading, customers may request that we re-read the meter. If we re-read the meter and determine our initial reading was an error, we will adjust the account to reflect the proper reading.

Please be advised: meter-readers will not take collections to pay bills.

By enrolling in, using, or paying for service by Auto-Pay, you agree to the terms and conditions stated on the sign-up form. If the Terms and Conditions are not acceptable to you, please notify our office immediately at 912-352-9339 or by email to CustomerCare@waterga.com. If there is a change in your bank or card account information, including expiration date, you must sign in to your customer portal account, email CustomerCare@waterga.com or call 912-352-9339 to update Auto-Pay enrollment information.

Please be advised: In order to avoid payment issues (such as insufficient funds) and to minimize late fee application, auto-pay automatically charges your account seven (7) days prior to the Due Date.  Auto-pay must be established at least 72 hours prior to statement draw date. There are no fees associated with auto-draft payments made from a checking or savings account. If using a debit or credit card for automatic payments, there will be a 3.00% processing fee added to the final payment.*

Interested in Setting Up Auto-Pay?

Approximately 30 days after the bill date, any late account will be put into a suspension status. WUM will provide a notice of a date for suspension on the late fee letter.  At 9:00 AM on the Suspension Date, the account we be put into Suspension and the Suspension Fee of $60 will be charged.  All fees and past due amounts must be paid in full in order to reinstate service or to avoid service interruption.  A WUM employee will be dispatched to lock-out the water service on any suspended account.

Note:  All due dates and collection dates are as-printed and may vary slightly from the 20 to 30 days from the bill date due to the work week.

Water Utility Management generates statements on a bi-monthly schedule. Therefore, customers will receive a bill approximately every 60 days (all due dates and collection dates are as-printed and may vary slightly from 60 days due to the work week). Customers are responsible for paying their bills on time. If a customer does not receive a bill, it is the customer’s responsibility to call our office and request a bill or use the automated phone system to check the balance and/or pay by phone. Water Utility Management mails all mail Return Receipt Requested. If the mail does not return to us, we have to assume it was delivered. Water Utility Management is not responsible for misdirection, undelivered, or lost mail.

Paperless Billing is available, Enroll Today! Safe, secure, and convenient; there are no additional charges associated with e-Bills and customers that are enrolled in this program generally receive an e-mail notification with the current amount due and due date within 48 hours of bill generation. Customers are encouraged to add our two e-mails to their contact lists on their email to ensure delivery, customercare@WaterGA.com and billing@WaterGA.com. 

By creating an online account, customers can manage their billing preferences. Customers can pay online using a credit/debit card for one-time or recurring payments, but are subject to a 3% service fee. Customers can also sign up for free automated ACH (bank draft) transactions, check balance information, and review account history. We highly recommend that customers utilize the Customer Portal to get the maximum benefits of the WUM customer experience. 

Payment is due by the due date listed on the bill, approximately 20 days from the date the bill is mailed (all due dates and collection dates are as-printed and may vary slightly from 20 days due to the work week). All accounts carrying a balance beyond the due date will be assessed a Late Fee.

Having trouble paying your bill? Contact our office for further assistance by visiting us in person, sending an email, or calling Customer Care.

In accordance with the above paragraph, water service may be suspended to an account, and service lines may be locked out due to non-payment. If a customer’s account carries a past due balance past the suspension date the account will be subject to the Suspension Fee –even if a WUM employee has not yet arrived at the location to physically lock out the service line.

To reinstate a suspended account, the customer must pay all arrears on the account, the current balance, and the Suspension Fee. In cases where the customer is a repeat offender, or a renter, the account holder may be required to pay a deposit.

If water service to a location is locked out, water service will be restored within the next business day from receipt of payment. Any customer attempting to force open his/her cut-off valve will be charged a fee for its repair (see vandalism) and is subject to legal action, including prosecution for theft of services.

Any account that remains suspended or owes money for longer than 60 days will be sent to a collection agency. The collection agency will then begin its attempts to collect the debt, and could also file reports with the credit agencies that could negatively impact the consumer’s credit rating.

The meter box, meter, valve, and service line inside the meter box are the property of Water Utility Management. Customers should under no circumstances tamper with any equipment inside the meter box. Should you require water to your house to be turned off for any reason, please call the office at any time, and we will help. We strongly recommend that all customers have a plumber install a cut off valve beside your home to allow you to cut-off water flow to your house in case of an emergency.

Any customer who tampers with a meter or valve servicing their house is subject to a penalty charge of $450, in addition to the cost of the parts and labor to fix any damages. These charges cover the cost of the labor and materials required to fix leaks created by this activity or to replace the meters, locks, valves, or the various corporation stops, pipes, and fittings that are broken through such misuse. Many customers attempt to force a valve closed or open without the proper tools. Other customers may try and force open a valve that has been locked due to non-payment, or cut the lock or valve to steal service. If the utility company discovers that a locked-out service connection has been tampered with, the police will be immediately notified and we will proceed to collect payment or prosecute for theft of services.

“We” as the utility providing the services to “you”, (WUM customer), are responsible for Wastewater mains, lift stations, treatment facilities, and drain fields that treat and manage your wastewater. “You”, (WUM customer), are responsible for the wastewater lines and fixtures in the home, including the septic tank, wastewater pump (if applicable), and the service line from the home to the Water Utility Management wastewater main. For more information, please click here.

Water Utility Management charges a NSF Fee of $35 for returned checks. Once an account has had two returned checks, Water Utility Management will no longer be able to accept payments in that form.

Community wells and well sites are property of the Utility Company. They are private property and we authorize NO TRESPASSING, as signs indicate. Trespassing or tampering with these facilities is a Federal Offense. Should you see anyone in any of the well-sites that is not a service person in an easily-identifiable Water Utility truck, call the police immediately.

Well sites are also DANGEROUS. Do not enter the well site under any circumstance. Our service personnel are highly qualified and go through many hours of technical training. The electrical equipment and chlorine gas inside the well sites can kill an untrained person. Please stay out of the fences that border the well sites for your own safety. Water Utility Management is not liable for accidents that happen to trespassers.