Municipal Department
ATHENS-CLARKE CO WATER SYSTEM
Serving ATHENS
Population served
125000 people (EPA SDWIS 2026Q2 active CWS estimate for GA0590000)
State system code
FIPS 13
Billing frequency
Monthly; Athens-Clarke County’s Water Business Office and bank-draft materials describe a monthly bill.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
ATHENS-CLARKE CO WATER SYSTEM operates as a municipal department serving ATHENS. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Four-tier residential increasing-block structure based on annual average water use. For July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, Tier 1 is $7.02 per 1,000 gallons, Tier 2 up to 50% over annual average is $8.79, Tier 3 from 51% to 99% over annual average is $10.54, and Tier 4 over 100% is $17.58. New customers start with an annual-average calculation based on two people using 50 gallons per person per day, subject to household adjustment.. Bills are generated monthly; athens-clarke county’s water business office and bank-draft materials describe a monthly bill., and a typical residential cost reference is Approximately $97.18 per month for 5,000 gallons under a simplified 2026-27 illustration using a 3,000-gallon monthly annual-average baseline: $21.06 at Tier 1 plus $17.58 for the next 2,000 gallons, $4.95 water service fee, $4.95 sewer service fee, $0.54 residential meter replacement fee, and $43.15 sewer at $8.63 per 1,000 gallons. Actual bills depend on the account’s annual average, billing-cycle days, meter size, and irrigation usage.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
For July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, residential sewer use is billed at 100% of water consumption at $8.63 per 1,000 gallons, plus a $4.95 monthly sewer customer-service fee. Separate irrigation-meter water does not receive a sewer charge; water through the household meter and separate irrigation meter is combined for water-tier calculations.
Meter and infrastructure notes
Athens-Clarke partners with WaterSmart for account usage tracking, leak detection, bill forecasts, and alerts. The current public materials do not state a universal AMI/AMR transmission interval or fixed meter-reading day; the account history and bill show the applicable read period.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
706-613-3481 for emergency/after-hours Public Utilities contact; Water Business Office billing and payment support is 706-613-3500. The Public Utilities Department lists 706-613-3481 as its emergency/after-hours number.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for ATHENS
ATHENS-CLARKE CO WATER SYSTEM is listed here as a municipal department. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.