ATLANTA — A new City of Atlanta audit found roughly one in four water accounts are delinquent, leaving the city owing more than $236 million in unpaid water and sewer bills despite millions of dollars in debt being written off in recent years.
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The audit found about 60,000 Atlanta water accounts are considered delinquent. City auditors reported the amount owed has climbed to more than $236 million, up from about $198 million in 2023.
The findings sparked frustration among Atlanta City Council members during a recent committee meeting, with some calling the situation embarrassing and unsustainable for the city.
“I don’t excuse it for anybody. Everybody should pay their bills, but I do know that life happens,” Atlanta resident Lois Searles told Channel 2 Action News while paying her water bill at City Hall.
The audit found some overdue accounts have gone unpaid for years. Council members said some of the largest delinquent accounts belong to corporations, apartment complexes and government entities.
Atlanta City Councilman Dustin Hillis pointed to several high-profile debtors during the meeting including Fulton County, Atlanta Public Schools, and the federal government.
Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari questioned why major commercial entities remain on the delinquency list. We found apartment complexes, hotels, a data center, a Chick-fil-A location, and even Ponce City Market on the list of companies that owe the city the most in unpaid water and sewer bills.
“Chick-fil-A — are you kidding me? Ponce City Market — are you kidding me?” Bakhtiari said during the discussion.
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Residents told Channel 2’s Ashlyn Webb they worry some large account holders may be avoiding consequences while regular customers continue paying their bills on time.
“If they think they can get away with it, they’ll do everything they can when people like myself may not be able to,” Atlanta resident Luis said.
Watershed Management Commissioner Greg Eyerly acknowledged the city is prioritizing collections from larger delinquent accounts.
“Certainly, we’re looking at those accounts, and they are a higher priority for contacting given the limited resources we presently have,” Eyerly said.
According to Eyerly, approximately $150 million of the outstanding balance is considered unlikely to be recovered because the accounts are more than 90 days overdue.
Eyerly noted Atlanta did not shut off residential water service for nonpayment for roughly 12 years before resuming residential shutoffs in 2023. While auditors found the city has increased enforcement efforts, they said those measures have not been enough to reverse the growing debt.
Eyerly said the city plans to increase collection efforts and contact delinquent customers earlier.
“We’re going to not only increase our resources to reach out to people that are in arrears on payment, but we’re going to do that much more quickly,” Eyerly said.
Auditors warned that if the city does not improve collections, the financial burden could ultimately affect customers who consistently pay their water bills on time.
The audit is expected to be discussed further by city leaders as they weigh options for recovering unpaid balances and reducing the growing amount of delinquent debt.
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