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Policy & Procedures Office Hours | Emergencies | New Service | Tap-in | New Accounts | Meter Readings | Basic Fees | Billing | Late Bills | Lock-outs | Vandalism | Community Wells | Private Wells Our office, located at 621 Stephenson Ave. in Savannah, is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday –Friday. The office is closed for most national holidays, as well as St. Patrick’s Day and some dates convenient to the winter holidays. All office closures will be posted on the office door a week in advance. Maintenance staff is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to emergencies. Emergencies are major leaks, or any malfunction that causes a home to be without water, roads to be washed out, or threaten life, limb, or property. The Utility Company will assess all leaks, but may elect to fix them during the following 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. 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. If you are building a new home, or have never had water service on your lot before, you may be required to pay a ‘tap fee' or ‘impact’ fee. A tap fee covers the material and labor cost of tapping a main line, running a service line, and setting a meter on your property. The fee also covers the impact the tap has on the water system for additional permitting and operation costs, and helps recoup the cost of the system’s construction and maintenance. In order to request a tap-in, customers must call the office to set up an account, and must request a 'survey' for their tap-in. The survey will consist of maintenance personnel determining the distance between your 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. Once you agree to the quote and pay the fee, Water Utility Management will establish an account in your name, and then we 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 you live in a house that was previously occupied, or in a house that has already had a paid tie-in fee, you may require a new meter. Additionally, if you move into a house that has water service already established, you will need to set up a new account in your name. The fee for both setting a new meter and setting up a new account is $35. Failure to set up an account in your name will cause the previous account at that address to go delinquent and be locked-out. To avoid this interruption in service, all customers should establish service in their name. To start a new account, a customer must call in and provide the following information:
New customers may additionally be required to provide closing documents (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, of which $65 is refundable (less the new account set-up fee). Additionally, service addresses that have had a history of delinquent accounts may require a deposit as well. We read meters between the 20th and 30th of each month. Every effort is made to read meters according to a cycle that ensures an exact 60-day time frame from the last reading. Sometimes weather and unexpected emergency work requires us to alter our meter reading schedule slightly. In the event that an extended or shortened billing period alters your amount due, we will pro-rate the usage according to a 60-day schedule. We are also currently upgrading software to allow us to display the date your meter was read on your bill. If your water usage seems higher or lower than you think is normal, please compare your meter reading on your bill with the reading on your meter. Your meter reads like the odometer on a car, with the numbers reading in a cumulative fashion. If you feel there is an error, call the office during normal business hours and we will review your bill in light of the current reading. You may request that we re-read for a service charge of $35. This charge covers the fuel, maintenance, and labor of the service visit. If we re-read the meter and determine our initial reading was an error, we will refund your $35 and adjust your account to reflect the proper reading. A reminder, meter-readers will not take collections to pay bills.
We bill bi-monthly*. Therefore, you will receive a bill every 2 months. You are responsible for your own bill, and for paying your bill on time. If you do not receive a bill, it is your responsibility to call the office and request a bill or pay by phone. We are not responsible for lost mail. Bills may be paid by mail using a check or money order; over the phone by credit card/debit card; and at the pay window at the office by check, money order, credit card, or cash. Payment is due by the 25th of the month. All accounts carrying a balance beyond the 25th of the month will be assessed a late fee of $10. *Some accounts are billed monthly. All fees and deadlines still apply. The second monthly bill will serve as the final notice prior to collection by lockout. Any payment received after the 25th of the month is late, and subject to the late fee of $10.00. Customers will receive another notice on or about the 5th of the following month. After 40 days from the bill date, a $50 collection fee will be charged to the account. The account is also subject to being locked out to enforce payment. Service lines may be locked out due to non-payment. If this occurs, customers are subject to the following charges: 1). All arrears on the account, the current balance, and a $50 collection fee must be paid in full 2). The account holder may be required to pay a $100 deposit 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 for its repair (see vandalism) and is subject to legal action, including prosecution for theft of services. The meter box, meter, valve, and service line inside the meter box are the property of Water Utility Managament. 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 $100, in addition to the cost of the parts and labor to fix the 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. Community wells and well sites are property of the Utility Company. They are private property and we authorize NO TRESPASSING, as signs indicate. These sites service multiple customers and tampering can interrupt service to hundreds of people. If you should 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 equipment inside the well sites can kill an untrained person. Most of our wells run off of 480V, 3-phase power, which is lethal. Additionally, all of the wells use chlorine gas to kill bacteria in the water. Chlorine gas was used as a weapon in WWI because it stays low to the ground and is lethal. Chlorine burns the eyes and skin, and can be fatal if inhaled. 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. Private (Customer) Wells [back to top] Shallow wells are permitted for irrigation and other outdoor purposes like filling swimming pools or washing cars/boats, etc. Shallow wells are regulated by zoning laws, and neighborhood covenants. It is illegal to connect any plumbing from a well or other water source to your home plumbing. Pressure changes can cause your well to contaminate the community water system. Any discovery of cross-connection with an un-approved water source will result in notification of the Georgia EPD, as well as taking legal action.Deep wells are not permitted in proximity to our community water systems and homeowners may not disconnect from a community water system and drill a well. Violators of this policy are subject to prosecution. |
