Rates & Connection Fees 

Protecting public health, delivering high-quality clean drinking water, and thoroughly treating collected water are the Public Utilities Department's (PUD) highest priorities.  These goals guide every decision we make, including determining when and at what rate an increase is required in our water and sewer rate structures.

The PUD uses funds collected from water bills to reinvest in the water infrastructure, meet increasing regulatory requirements to protect our environment, and ensure sustainability in our water supply.  A long-term approach to funding these investments relies upon small, incremental rate increases.  On July 1, 2022, a scheduled rate increase will occur in the amounts displayed in the tables below.    

The rate structure changes proposed by the PUD and approved by the ACC Mayor and Commission in 2020 remain in effect.  These included widening the tiers, shifting households from a winter average to an annual average, and setting commercial accounts to a uniform rate.  A decrease in service fees was also possible because the change from manually read water meters to an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) System yielded significant savings, which PUD passed on to the customer.  In addition, no scheduled rate increases were implemented in 2020 or 2021.  If you are experiencing extreme financial challenges, PUD partners with several agencies providing bill-pay assistance.  To see how the new rate compares to the previous rate for common household uses, please click here.

We value the trust you place in the utility to invest in your system so we can work hard every day to deliver on our promise of reliable water and sewer service.  Learn more about a few of our current water and sewer projects underway and only possible with capital investments.

  1. Residential Water/Sewer Rates
  2. Non-residential Water Rates
  3. Charges to Establish New Services

How your residential bill is calculated

Residential water use is billed on a four-tiered pricing system, based on annual average (AA) water use for accounts active for one or more years, or 100 gallons a day multiplied by the number of days in the billing cycle, whichever is greater. When applicable, outdoor water use meter readings from irrigation meters are combined with indoor use in calculating the AA. The minimum AA is 3,000 gallons per month.

If you are a new residential customer, your AA will be calculated based on a two-person household with an average use of 50 gallons a day per person. If you have more than two people in your household, you can request an adjustment. To do so, you must complete and submit a water service request and affidavit form to:

Water Business Office
124 E. Hancock Ave.
Athens, GA 30601

Water and Sewer Rates (pdf)

Residential Water Rate Structure

July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 Rates

Tier 1 - Annual Average (AA)
AA water use is calculated at a rate of:
 $6.25 per 1,000 gallons
Tier 2 - Up to 50% over AA
Additional water use up to 50% over the AA is calculated at a rate of:  
$7.81 per 1,000 gallons
Tier 3 - Between 51% - 99% over AA
Additional water use of more than 51% up to 99% over AA is calculated at a rate of:
$9.38 per 1,000 gallons
Tier 4 - More than 100% over AA
Additional water use of more than 100% over the AA is calculated at a rate of: 
$15.61 per 1,000 gallons

  

Sewer Rates

July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 Rate

Residential sewer use is equal to 100% of water consumption
$7.91 per 1,000 gallons


Customer Service Fee

July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 Rate

Monthly customer service fees cover the overhead costs for meter reading, fixed costs, and billing operations.  
Water Customer Service Fee
$4.80
Sewer Customer Service Fee
$4.80


Meter Fee

July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 Rate

A monthly meter covers the cost of meter maintenance and upgrades.  The meter fee is billed based on meter size.  Residential homes typically have a 3/4-inch water meter.
Meter Size
3/4 inch$0.52
1 inch$1.15
1.5 inch$3.62
2 inch$28.11
3 inch$38.20
4 inch$52.89
6 inch
$130.32
8 inch
$172.50


Irrigation Meter Rates
Sewer:  Because water from a separate irrigation meter does not enter the sanitary sewer system, no sewer charges apply to water consumed through this meter.
Water:  Water passing through a household meter and separate irrigation meter are combined and billed on the four-tiered pricing system.

Additional Resources