ATLANTA — As water flowed outside Andrew Ericson’s home in Castleberry Hill, he says he had no idea it was also impacting his water bill.
“At the time when the water meter was broken, all of Peters Street was getting repaved,” said Ericson.
A spokesperson with the Georgia Department of Transportation confirms it had a project in the area and identified two leaks linked to its work, adding that Atlanta Watershed Management was notified.
Ericson says he and others first contacted Watershed Management on Nov. 4, asking for an inspection, but it took several weeks for crews to respond.
“They showed up December 12, about six weeks later after we first called them. They took a quick look at it and determined the water line was broken on our side of the meter, so it was our responsibility to repair it. That day we called a plumber,” said Ericson.
Weeks later, Ericson says he and other residents received a bill totaling more than $8,500. He says he was told they could file for an adjustment.
“I remember being told on phone calls that I didn’t need to worry, that we would be able to file an adjustment,” he added.
Ericson and others filed for a bill adjustment in February, but received a letter in late April saying the Department of Watershed Management determined no adjustment was warranted.
In a statement, Watershed says a Dec. 12 investigation found a hole in the meter lid and usage consistent with a property-side leak.
It says no issues were found within the meter itself, and the leak appeared to originate on the private service line, where repair and usage costs typically fall to the property owner.
The agency says adjustment requests are reviewed under established policy and can be appealed to the Water and Sewer Appeals Board.
Ericson says the timing of the response made the situation worse and left owners with an unexpected bill.
“We feel we did everything right; we called them immediately. Once we found out it was our responsibility, we fixed it that day, and we still got stuck with a bill that would have never occurred if Atlanta Watershed would’ve shown up a day or a couple days later when we first contacted them,” Ericson said.
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