Rates & Billing | Leak Policy

The Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority understands that sometimes customers will have an increased water/sewer bill due to an unforeseen leak on the customer’s side of the meter.  The CCWSA Board of Directors approved a policy to provide assistance to these customers.  The Leak Adjustment Policy below can help determine if you could possibly qualify for an adjustment to your water/sewer bill.  Customers that would like to request a leak adjustment should download and complete the Leak Adjustment Request Form and return to the address on the form or email.

What – A leak is considered an unintentional water loss caused by broken or damaged plumbing fixtures, pipes or irrigation equipment at a customer’s residence or non-residential site that results in a customer’s bill being higher than the customer’s typical bill for water services. CCWSA owns and operates water mains in the public right-of-way (up to and including the water meter). We are not responsible for private plumbing systems or the service line between the water meter and your home.

How – Customer applies for help by means of a standard form available on our website and/or at Customer Service. Customer must show sufficient (determination of the Customer Service Manager) proof of leak repair.

Timeliness On The Part Of The Customer – The customer must apply for leak help within 90 days of the customer’s identification and repair of a leak to be eligible for leak help.

How Much – Customer can receive help on a high water bill due to a leak on the customer’s side of the meter no more than once within a rolling 12-month period (rolling 1-year timeframe starting from the date of last leak help the customer received). Leak help means that the water volume above the customer’s average bill (12 month average or average of all bills for those who have been customers less than 12 months) will be charged at the wholesale rate. In the event that a leak appears to have impacted the billing for two consecutive months, both months may be considered.

Customer Payment Accommodation – Customers who receive leak help may receive (at the discretion of the Customer Service Manager) an extended payment period over which to complete paying for the leak-caused bill. A customer cannot receive any help for a new leak until and unless an extended payment bill has been paid in full.

Customers On Public Sewer – Customers on public sewer service who receive leak help may receive forgiveness of sewer charges in excess of the customer’s average bill (12 month average or average of all bills for those who have been customers less than 12 months) if the customer demonstrates (determination of the Customer Service Manager) that the water from the leak did not enter the sewer system.

Pool Repair — Pool repair shall qualify as a leak. Filling of a new pool (construction) shall not qualify as a leak.

Final Decision On Leak Help – This represents the whole and complete leak help policy of the Board of Directors of the Cherokee County Water & Sewerage Authority. The decision of the Customer Service Manager regarding leak help is final. Any customer who feels aggrieved by this policy may seek a hearing before the Board to present perceived policy inadequacies.

Rates & Billing | Toilet Rebate

1. Program Structure
   1. Program Eligibility:
      1. Must be a customer of CCWSA
      2. Must be a multi-family residential property on a master meter
      3. Cherokee County Tax Assessor listing must have property Land Code as “Multi Family”
      4. Must be built prior to 1994
      5. Toilets planned for replacement must be greater than 3.5 gallons per flush (gpf).
      6. Must replace at minimum 30 toilets and maximum 60 toilets
      7. Must apply for rebate through the account owner/association
   2. Those Not Eligible:
      1. Individual residents living in multi-family housing
      2. Institutional or commercial properties
      3. Those built after 1994
      4. Existing toilets less than 3.5 gpf
      5. Properties that have already received a rebate through the program
      6. Past due water accounts
      7. Properties replacing old toilets with flush valve toilets
2. CCWSA will coordinate and manage the rebate program.
3. Customers must submit a Pre-Approval Application and receive approval from CCWSA before purchasing or installing toilets.
4. Once approved for replacement, the applicant has 90 days to install toilets and submit receipts.
5. By the 90-day limit, the applicant must have scheduled a verification inspection with CCWSA, or submitted a request to terminate the application.
6. If no termination request or verification inspection has been received by the 90-day deadline, the application will be terminated by CCWSA and no rebate will be issued.
7. Only one Pre-Approval Application can be submitted per address/property.
8. Rebate amounts are available as follows: $50 for High Efficiency 1.28 gpf Watersense labeled toilets, or $75 for Ultra-High Efficiency 1.1 gpf toilets.
9. Only one flush rate may be chosen per application. (i.e. All toilets must be High Efficiency or all toilets must be Ultra-High Efficiency.  Not a mixture of both.)
10. Rebate amounts will be reflected as a credit on the account owner/property water bill within 2 billing cycles.

Multi-Family Toilet Rebate Application

The CCWSA Board Of Directors has elected to participate in the district-wide Toilet Retrofit Program of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District.

For information regarding this program and to see if you are eligible for participation, please visit NorthGeorgiaWater.org or call 404-463-8645.

Rates & Billing | Sewer Rates

CCWSA sewer rates were designed to cover the costs of providing sewer service to your home or business.  These costs include operations, maintenance, and replacement of existing infrastructure, as well as capital improvements that expand the system.  Sewer is charged based upon water consumption.

Meter Size – 3/4″ or 5/8″                Service Type – Residential

Download CCWSA’s current Rate Chart for 0 – 40,000 gallons.  For rates on commercial services
and larger meters, please contact our customer service at 770-479-1813.

CCWSA works hard to efficiently and effectively accomplish it’s job of providing high-quality drinking water and wastewater reclamation to it’s customers.  CCWSA has only adjusted water and sewer rates twice in the last nine years, first in January 2019, and most recently in April 2023.

Returned checks:  There is a $35 fee for check and electronic payments that are returned due to insufficient funds, etc.

Rates & Billing | Water Rates

CCWSA strives to provide affordable water and sewer services to residents of Cherokee County and surrounding areas.  CCWSA rates are devised to cover the actual cost of providing high-quality drinking water to our customers.  These costs include on-going operations and maintenance costs, reading the meter, preparing and issuing the bill, as well as capital improvements that expand the system as necessary.

CCWSA is a public, not-for-profit municipality and does not receive any revenue from the county or city government.  Therefore, we make every effort to operate in the most efficient and cost-effective manner while continuing to focus on superior quality and service.

Meter Size: 3/4″ or 5/8″                Service Type: Residential (Domestic)

Download CCWSA’s current Rate Chart for 0 – 40,000 gallons.  For rates on sprinkler meters,
commercial services, and larger meters, please contact our customer service at 770-479-1813.

CCWSA works hard to efficiently and effectively accomplish it’s job of providing high-quality drinking water and wastewater reclamation to it’s customers.  CCWSA has only adjusted water and sewer rates twice in the last nine years, first in January 2019, and most recently in April 2023.

Returned checks:  There is a $35 fee for check and electronic payments that are returned due to insufficient funds, etc.