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UTILITY BILLING
(770) 387-5170; Menu Option 2

Billing Procedures

Bartow County Water Department Utility Service Bills are calculated from the total water consumption and wastewater disposal (equivalent to water consumption for sewer system customers) that has occurred within a Monthly Billing Cycle. Bartow County Water & Sewer System customers have their Utility Service Bills printed and mailed on or around the 15th or at the end of each month, depending upon the customer’s Service Location Billing Cycle Period, with payment Due Dates assigned for the 1st and 15th of the subsequent month, respectively. Utility Service Billing Rates are determined by several service criteria including Meter Size, Water Consumption, Customer Classification and applicable Utility System Services as detailed within the following Monthly Billing Rate Tables:

 
Bartow County Water & Sewer System
Minimum Monthly Billing & Base Rates Table
Water Service Sewer Service
Meter Size Minimum Base Rate Meter Size Minimum Base Rate
5/8” x ¾” $4.37 $3.61/1,000 Gallons* 5/8” x ¾” $4.37 $3.61/1,000 Gallons*
1” $10.92 $3.61/1,000 Gallons* 1” $10.92 $3.61/1,000 Gallons*
1 ½” $21.84 $3.61/1,000 Gallons* 1 ½” $21.84 $3.61/1,000 Gallons*
2” $34.94 $3.61/1,000 Gallons* 2” $34.94 $3.61/1,000 Gallons*
3” $69.89 $3.61/1,000 Gallons* 3” $69.89 $3.61/1,000 Gallons*
4” $109.20 $3.61/1,000 Gallons* 4” $109.20 $3.61/1,000 Gallons*
6” $218.41 $3.61/1,000 Gallons* 6” $218.41 $3.61/1,000 Gallons*
8" $349.45 $3.61/1,000 Gallons* 8" $349.45 $3.61/1,000 Gallons*
*Note: Water Service Base Rates are subject to total monthly water consumption and customer classification as detailed in the Water Conservation Surcharge Rate Table below.
Water Conservation Surcharge Rate Table

Water Conservation Surcharges impose higher water utility service billing rates for excessive water consumption and the Water Conservation Surcharge Rate Structure is required by the State of Georgia to encourage water conservation. Water utility customers shall pay additional charges for water consumption that is considered “higher-than-average.” The Unit Surcharge Method establishes a threshold level for excessive consumption based upon system-wide customer consumption averages. Using a Tiered Rate System insures that all customers will help protect our most valuable natural resource. Customers are strongly encouraged to monitor their water consumption. Customers consuming more than 5,000 gallons of water per month will pay surcharges for their water consumption based upon the following Tiered Rate System:


Residential Tier 1 (1,000 to 5,000 Gallons):                 100% of Base Rate ($3.61) per 1,000 Gallons
  Tier 2 (6,000 to 8,000 Gallons):                 125% of Base Rate ($4.51) per 1,000 Gallons
  Tier 3 (9,000 to 15,000 Gallons):               150% of Base Rate ($5.42) per 1,000 Gallons
  Tier 4 (16,000  Gallons or more):              200% of Base Rate ($7.22) per 1,000 Gallons
Wastewater

100% of Base Rate ($3.61) per 1,000 Gallons of Metered Water Use
Commercial

125% of Base Rate ($4.51) per 1,000 Gallons
Industrial 100% of Base Rate ($3.61) per 1,000 Gallons
Irrigation Tier 1 (1,000 to 15,000 Gallons):                150% of Base Rate ($5.42) per 1,000 Gallons
  Tier 2 (16,000 Gallons or More):                200% of Base Rate ($7.22) per 1,000 Gallons
 
 

Bartow County Water and Sewer Rate Structure & Readiness to  Service Ordinance Amendment, November 8, 2007

Commercial Fire Line Detector Meters are billed at a rate of $36.10/1,000 gallons of water consumption (10 times the standard “Base Rate”), but a Minimum Monthly Billing Charge is not applied to these particular accounts. Fire Line Detector Meters are subject, however, to a $655.00 Tap Fee and an Inspection Fee based upon the greater amount of either: A) 2% of Meter Installation Cost or B) A $160.00 minimum Inspection Service Charge. Note: Customers that have not received their Utility Service Bills within five (5) working days of their designated Billing Date should immediately contact our main office at (770) 387-5170 for account information! Failure to receive Utility Service Bills does not relieve customers from their payment obligations!!
Payment Options

 Bartow County Water Department service utility billing payments can be delivered to our main office or drive-thru window located @ 50 Nelson Street; Cartersville, Georgia during business hours (Office: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Drive-Thru Window: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), placed within our drive-thru night-drop deposit box 24 hours daily, or mailed to the following address: Bartow County Water Department; P.O. Box 850; Cartersville, GA 30120-0850. Note: Please do not mail any cash payments! Master Card® and Visa® debit and credit card payments are accepted inside our main office during regular business hours, but will not be received over the telephone! Bartow County Water Department service utility billing payments can also be submitted by utilizing our Customer Online Billing Payment System which can be accessed by selecting the following “Pay Bill Online” link: 
 

 


Note: An Online Payment Convenience Fee of $1.00 shall be applied to each online payment transaction at the time of payment authorization. Customers paying their service utility bills through an individual online bank checking service should allow at least seven (7) days for receipt of their payments by our department. Payments received after 2:00 p.m. will be processed the following business day with the exception of those payments received on established utility billing due dates. Note: To expedite payment processing when submitting your utility service payments at our main office, please provide our Utility Billing Personnel with both attachments of your utility bill. Customers concerned about the monetary charges and/or water consumption totals printed upon their service utility bills should immediately report their meter readings to our department for service account transaction/meter reading verification. Note: In the event our department encounters difficulties while reading your water meter, a green pamphlet shall be provided to the serviced customer detailing all complications that were experienced. Upon obtaining your meter reading, please observe the red protruding water-flow indicator adjacent to the meter dial. Movement of this device while all available water outlets are closed indicates the presence of a water leak at the serviced establishment that should be repaired immediately by a Licensed Plumber. Note: Customers are solely responsible for consumption charges and service line repairs pertaining to water leaks occurring between their water meter and serviced establishment!!

Billing Penalties
Late Fee - A Late Fee equivalent to 10% of water and/or sewer service charges calculated during the previous billing cycle plus any additional previously unpaid balances is accessed to service utility bills that remain unpaid by their designated due date. Note: Payment balances for overdue service utility bills are printed adjacent to the “Amount After Due Date” field upon all service utility bills.
 
Reconnection Fee - Customers have one (1) calendar month to pay the entire balance of their service utility bill, including late charges, before a non-payment disconnection order will be issued for their serviced location. As a courtesy our department notifies customers with overdue balances through our B.E.N. PhoneMaster Audio System® one week prior to the non-payment service disconnection period and distributes yellow (overdue) or blue (returned checks) non-payment warning pamphlets within a few days of scheduled service disconnection. Note: Failure to receive delinquent notifications or payment reminder messages does not exclude customers with overdue account balances from non-payment service disconnection procedures! Our non-payment service disconnection policy is detailed upon the reverse side of service utility bills! Serviced accounts remaining delinquent at the completion of this two-week disconnection notification period have their meters locked and establishments tagged with a red non-payment disconnection pamphlet. Service restoration after non-payment disconnection procedures have occurred requires a complete cash or certified funds payment of the account balance, applicable late charges and a Reconnection Fee ($25.00 before 4:00 p.m./$40.00 after 4:00 p.m.). Note: Once a non-payment disconnection order has been issued for a serviced account, regardless whether or not actual disconnection procedures have occurred, the customer is responsible for payment of a Reconnection Fee without exception!! The latest time that our department will restore service to an account disconnected for non-payment is 8:00 p.m.! Meter Readers and Maintenance Personnel are not allowed to collect payments under any circumstances!!
 
Returned Check Fee - Serviced accounts whose personal or business checks have been returned to our office from a banking institution due to insufficient funds, omitted signatures, or other such circumstances are assessed a $25.00 Returned Check Fee and promptly mailed a “Returned Check Statement” from our department. These customers should immediately collect their returned check from our main office @ 50 Nelson Street; Cartersville, Georgia and submit a cash-only payment for the serviced account to avoid non-payment service disconnection procedures which will be scheduled 10 days after said check has been returned to our department unless the required payment has been received! Note: Customers that have submitted a total of two (2) returned will be required to make cash-only payments for a minimum period of one (1) year.
 
Tampering Fee – Bartow County Water System Tampering Fees are detailed within “Title I. Water Service; Section 2 Interference with County Property Prohibited” of the Bartow County Water Service & Conservation Ordinance adopted December 17, 2003, subsequently amended on December 15, 2004, which states as follows:

Section 2 Interference with County Property Prohibited

(A) All persons are prohibited from interfering with or disturbing in any manner or form, any water meters, switches, locks, cutoffs, corporation cocks or other appliances of the County, or to appropriate or use any water after service has been cut off or discontinued for the nonpayment of the charges therefore or for other cause. The head of the household or property owner involved shall be held responsible for the violation of this section. Tampering fees of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) shall be assessed where a meter has been disturbed, plus the fee for water used. The County reserves the right to remove a service where a meter has been tampered with and to refuse continued service to a property that has a history of violations of water service polices or ordinances.

(B) Unauthorized operation of a County owned hydrant will result in a tampering fee of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00), plus the fee for water used.

(C) A customer’s water meter may be turned off and tagged for any violation of Bartow County Water Department Rules and Regulations or Standard Operating Polices and Procedures, which are incorporated herein by reference.

(1) If the tag is tampered with then a padlock will be applied and the customer must pay a fifty dollar ($50.00) tampering fee before service can be restored. For each subsequent tampering with any tag by the same customer (whether on the same or different property), the fee shall double, to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400.00) for the fourth and subsequent tag tampering violation.

(2) If the padlock is removed or other means are used to gain water service, then the customer shall pay a one hundred dollar ($100.00) tampering fee plus the cost of any damage to the lock, meter or meter setter. The meter will be removed until all monies due are paid, including any overdue bills. A cease and desist order shall be issued to the owner of record of the property served by the meter where the tamper has occurred. For each subsequent tampering with any padlock by the same customer (whether on the same or different property), the fee shall double, to a maximum of eight hundred dollars ($800.00) for the fourth and subsequent lock tampering violation.

(3) If, after removal of the meter, an alternative means of obtaining water service is attempted (such as a “jumper” or other means), then the water service will be removed and future service will be considered as if the tampered service never existed. The property owner shall have to apply for and pay for new service, which may or may not be granted, and shall have to pay a fee of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) prior to new service being granted.

(D) Bartow County reserves the right to refuse to provide service to any property that may not be in the best interest of the system, including property with a history of tampering with the meter (or other portions of the system), or a history of non-payment of bills, irregardless of identity of the owner of the property or the customer.

(E) Bartow County reserves the right to refuse to provide service to any customer that may not be in the best interest of the system, including customers with a history of tampering with the meter (or other portions of the system) on any property; a history of non-payment of bills to the Water Department on any account on any property; or having any unpaid bill on any former Water Department account on other property.

 
Water Leak Adjustments


Bartow County Water Department customers are occasionally affected with waterline leaks at their serviced establishments that periodically result in temporary service outages, costly plumbing repairs and substantial water utility bill consumption charges. Our department will perform one (1) water leak adjustment within a 12-month period for residential customers experiencing a waterline service leak producing a minimum water consumption of 15,000 gallons within a monthly billing cycle that can provide our department with documentation of all associated plumbing supply purchases and labor charges. The current water service leak adjustment billing rate is $2.75 per thousand gallons and does not apply to non-residential (commercial, industrial, irrigation and agricultural) water service customers. {Example: A residential water customer receives a monthly service utility bill with 50,000 gallons of water consumption and $326.59 in service charges resulting from a waterline service leak. Our department will adjust this utility bill to a new service charge total of $137.50 (50,000 Gallons x $2.75/1,000 Gallons) once this customer has presented the required plumbing repair documentation}. Note: Our department will not perform water leak adjustments for irrigation water meters or pools!
 
Radio-Read Water Meter Reading System

The Bartow County Water Department recently completed a water meter change-out program that has replaced all manual-read water meters throughout the Bartow County Water System (over 20,000 meters) with radio-read water meters along with their associated transmitters, receivers and software applications from Badger Meter, Incorporated® headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The implementation of this Radio-Read Water Meter Replacement Program will provide the Bartow County Water Department and our valued customers with numerous operational and financial benefits including: precise meter-readings and utility billing accuracy; expedition of both meter-reading and billing-cycle processes; reduction in water meter replacement frequency; prompt recognition and detection of waterline service leaks; enhancement of employee and public safety during meter-reading processes; and establishment of a consistent cash-flow that shall provide our department with greater operational flexibility and the highest possible quality of customer and community services.


 

TO REPORT A SERVICE OUTAGE AND FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE, PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE AT (770) 387-5170.

AFTER REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS AND HOLIDAYS, THESE CALLS WILL BE DIRECTED TO PROCORE SERVICES.
Bartow County Water Department
50 Nelson Street - P.O. Box 850
Cartersville GA 30120
Phone: 770-387-5170
Fax: 770-387-5173

Bartow County Government
135 West Cherokee Avenue
Cartersville GA 30120
Phone: 770-387-5002