City of Atlanta to refund $7.5 million to water customers

Hounded by years of complaints about higher than normal water bills, the Atlanta City Council voted unanimously Monday to refund $7.5 million to more than 3,400 water customers.

The Department of Watershed Management will send refunds to 3,490 customers – roughly two percent of the city’s customers — who used irrigation meters to limit their sewage bills and were erroneously overbilled between July 1, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2010.

More than two-thirds of those getting refunds are in Districts 7 and 8, located in the northern part of the city, which includes Buckhead.

Watershed Management officials are now saying that stricter controls have been implemented to prevent similar billing errors in the future.

Full refunds, plus 7 percent interest and late fees, will be mailed to affected customers by Nov. 26.

Customers can check whether they are eligible for refunds by calling 404-546-7363 or going to www.atlantawatershed.org/irrigation.

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