AJC > NorthSide > Blog > Archives > 2006 > November > 01 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USIs your water bill through the roof?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Life in the land of manicured lawns has just gotten a little pricier, as some Forsyth County residents are discovering.
Forsyth and 15 other counties in metro Atlanta are under a deadline to start imposing water rates that are toughest on the biggest users.
An $800 monthly water bill sent to Alissa Shreeve of Cumming is being investigated. Her bill is typically about $22.
Established to manage water and wastewater needs in metro Atlanta, the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District requires that water providers adopt a rate plan this year that charges customers more for using large volumes of water.
Forsyth County initially wanted to have the rates in place before outdoor watering reached its peak this summer but was delayed by technical problems with its billing.
In recent weeks, when bills with the higher rates for big-volume users started hitting mailboxes, the county’s phones started ringing and terse e-mails began flying.
Bills were a few pennies cheaper for residents who use 6,000 gallons or less a month. But those who pour tens of thousands of gallons of water into their lawns saw double and triple-digit increases.
Some residents had “a bit of cardiac shock,” said County Commissioner Charles Laughinghouse.
Has your water bill increased? Share your story or your comments on the rate structure. Have water rates made you change any of your water habits?
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