Atlanta water customers face shutoffs for late payments

ATLANTA - Atlanta City Council members are not rooting for financial difficulties for any resident.

However, they were pleased to hear this week that after a 12-year free water policy, the water department began shutting off taps to slow payers and thousands who simply stop paying the bill.

A fresh round of disconnection notices went out on Thursday, for the second week.

Those homeowners will have the weekend to find enough cash, 25 percent of the overall balance, and make arrangements by next Monday, or their taps will be cut off.

"It won't happen all at once," said Mikita Browning, the water commissioner.

In fact, only single family residences face a water shutoff right now.

"It's a little tricky," Browning told council members.

She was referring to multifamily complexes that often have a master or single meter that does not register the individual who has been paying versus those who have let the account slide.

"We don't want to penalize those who have been complying," Browning said.

She said she is talking with Mayor Andre Dickens about a potential way to resolve that issue. 

There is a lot of catching up to do. The Atlanta Water Department is owed $20 million. Some of that will have to be written off. Some accounts are just too old.