Leak relief and household assistance

A high water bill may have a path to review

Hidden plumbing failures can produce an alarming bill before the problem is visible. This guide separates what City of Raleigh Water publicly describes from the practical steps every customer can take while requesting help.

Provider-specific review

What the public record says about a leak adjustment

Raleigh's July 2026 leak policy offers one courtesy adjustment per 12 months, including a pool adjustment, when usage is at least twice the customer's monthly average. For an accessible leak such as a visible pipe, toilet, faucet, hose bib, or hose, water consumption charges are adjusted to twice the average and wastewater consumption is not adjusted. For a non-accessible leak such as an underground line, wall pipe, water heater, or other hidden leak, both water and wastewater consumption charges are adjusted to twice the average. Stolen water from a hose bib can receive a wastewater-only adjustment when a police report is provided; one pool fill between March and October may receive a wastewater adjustment back to the monthly average. Base, watershed, and infrastructure-replacement fees are never adjusted. The customer must hire a licensed plumber/contractor, repair the leak, submit a receipt or proof of repair with the online request, and continue paying the full bill while review takes 7-10 business days. Gardening, sod watering, vehicle washing, third-party/insured leaks, tampering, and leaks continuing three or more months are excluded.

Stop the loss

Shut off the failing fixture or supply and arrange a qualified repair.

Keep proof

Save dated invoices, parts receipts, photographs, and meter readings.

Request review

Submit the request promptly and keep paying any undisputed amount.

Utility assistance

Customer assistance and eligibility

Raleigh's Utility Customer Assistance Program (UCAP) helps economically distressed water and sewer customers. Qualified customers can receive up to $275 per fiscal year, applied directly to the utility account until funds are exhausted. The program is administered with Wake County Human Services, which screens eligibility; applicants email hs.energy@wake.gov or mail the application to 220 Swinburne Street, Raleigh, NC 27640. Project Share is a customer/corporate contribution fund providing emergency help to residents in crisis with water, solid waste, recycling, and stormwater bills; the current pages do not publish a separate senior or disabled-veteran utility discount.

State and federal connections

Where to ask for broader aid

Raleigh's UCAP is administered with Wake County Human Services and the City reports prior use of North Carolina's Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) alongside UCAP and emergency-relief funds. Eligible applications are submitted to Wake County at hs.energy@wake.gov or 220 Swinburne Street, Raleigh, NC 27640; approved amounts are posted directly to the account. Customers should also ask Wake County, local Community Action agencies, 2-1-1, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services about current LIHWAP or other aid, and coordinate any pledge with Customer Care at (919) 996-3245 before a disconnection date.

Research status for this provider

4 of 4 relief signals publicly identified

Verify with official provider ↗

Emergency route

Published detail

Leak policy

Published detail

Utility aid

Published detail

State/federal aid

Published detail

Leak and assistance notes

Build the file before asking City of Raleigh Water for relief

A high bill can have several causes, including a hidden plumbing failure, irrigation use, a meter issue, a change in occupancy, or a rate adjustment. The provider’s leak policy determines whether any credit is available; an unusually high bill does not automatically qualify.

Keep a dated record of the reading, the suspected source, the repair, the contractor or parts receipt, and the return to normal use. Ask whether the utility requires a specific form, a licensed repair, a meter test, photos, or a request within a fixed number of days.

For income-related difficulty, ask about local assistance, payment arrangements, state programs, and community referrals separately from a leak adjustment. These programs often use different applications, documents, funding limits, and deadlines.

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