Municipal Department
City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM)
Serving City of Atlanta and the Department of Watershed Management service area, including some customers in surrounding metro Atlanta jurisdictions outside the city limits
Population served
Approximately 1.2 million customers served each day, according to the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management
State system code
FIPS 13
Billing frequency
Monthly; DWM's customer guidance says it strives to read each meter every 28-32 days, with weather, holidays, or service conditions sometimes extending the period.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) operates as a municipal department serving City of Atlanta and the Department of Watershed Management service area, including some customers in surrounding metro Atlanta jurisdictions outside the city limits. 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 Increasing three-tier CCF block structure for water and sewer, with a $6.56 base charge for water and a $6.56 base charge for sewer inside and outside the city. The current 2026 inside-city calculator shows water tiers of 1-3 CCF at $2.58/CCF, 4-6 CCF at $5.34/CCF, and 7+ CCF at $6.16/CCF; sewer tiers are $9.74, $13.64, and $15.69 per CCF. Rates differ for some outside-city and Fulton County service arrangements. One CCF is 748 gallons.. Bills are generated monthly; dwm's customer guidance says it strives to read each meter every 28-32 days, with weather, holidays, or service conditions sometimes extending the period., and a typical residential cost reference is For an inside-city single-family customer using about 5,000 gallons (approximately 6.68 CCF), the 2026 calculator rates imply roughly $34.50 for water plus $87.40 for sewer, or about $121.90 per month before any senior discount, stormwater, industrial surcharge, outside-city adjustment, or other account-specific charge. Actual bills use the account's meter size, exact CCF, service area, and current rate schedule.. 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
DWM bills sewer from the same metered potable-water consumption measured in CCF rather than a separate wastewater meter for ordinary residential accounts. The first 3 CCF, next 3 CCF, and usage above 6 CCF are charged at the applicable sewer tier; the current inside-city base is $6.56 and the 2026 usage rates shown by the official calculator are $9.74, $13.64, and $15.69 per CCF. The bill-calculator and customer guide do not describe a winter-average cap; they describe sewer charges as metered water usage, so a leak that passes through the meter can increase both water and sewer charges unless an adjustment is approved.
Meter and infrastructure notes
DWM bills on a roughly 28-32-day read cycle and uses a mixed fleet of conventional and electronically monitored meters. The current InvoiceCloud portal exposes smart-meter consumption data, while DWM's smart-utility materials describe leak-sensor deployment and digital monitoring at selected meters, valves, and hydrants. Public material does not establish that every account has hourly AMI or remote reads; the reliable operational statement is monthly/near-monthly billing with smart-meter data available for participating accounts and manual or field-read exceptions when equipment or conditions require it.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
311 inside Atlanta or 404-546-0311 outside the city for water/wastewater emergencies, main breaks, sewer spills, pressure problems, and large public leaks. DWM's payment portal separately lists 404-435-6340 for emergencies after hours, on holidays, or weekends.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for City of Atlanta and the Department of Watershed Management service area, including some customers in surrounding metro Atlanta jurisdictions outside the city limits
City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) 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.