Atlanta passes water bill reform as one owner's $30,000 dispute remains unresolved

Jeff Raw still owes the City of Atlanta nearly $30,000 for water usage on a home he built in southeast Atlanta, a balance that has persisted since 2023 despite a city acknowledgment of error.

The Atlanta City Council approved two new measures last week to alter how the city handles disputed water charges. The first expands the power of the Water and Sewer Appeals Board to grant credits for unusually high bills. The second, called F.L.O.A.T. 2.0, allows the Department of Watershed Management to negotiate specific residential disputes. Both initiatives were inspired in part by the prolonged fight of small business owners like Raw.

Raw operates a construction company with his sister. The dispute began while he was building a home on Alston Drive. He claims the city started charging for water before the house was connected to the meter. A bill dated May 18, 2023, listed a balance of $29,695.67. In December 2023, Jonathan Williams, then a deputy commissioner with the Department of Watershed Management, emailed Raw to acknowledge that a previous balance reflected leakage caused by the department. Williams stated the corrected balance was $219.24.

Raw paid that amount on December 19, 2023, according to a city payment receipt. The receipt showed an outstanding balance of $29,603.83. The city later maintained the correction was made in error. Raw says the unresolved charges delayed the sale of the home and tied up $35,000 in escrow. He added that the debt affects his ability to pay his own obligations. "It still keeps me up at night. being a small business, we have debt still and I owe money to people and getting this money back will allow me to make everybody whole," Raw said.

Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, who represents District 5, said Raw's experience highlighted limitations in the current system. She noted that customers often presented evidence they did not cause unusual usage but could not get relief. "They would hear the case and then they would say, you've done everything you can do, but we cannot help you with this, I'm sorry," Bakhtiari said. The new legislation allows the appeals board to determine if individuals are eligible for credits.

The F.L.O.A.T. 2.0 program is scheduled to run from November 1 through January 31, 2027. It provides temporary authority to negotiate eligible residential billing disputes. Neither measure guarantees that every disputed bill will be reduced. Customers must meet specific eligibility requirements. It remains unclear whether Raw's existing dispute qualifies for relief under the new rules.

The city faces a large backlog of unpaid water and sewer bills. An August 2026 city audit identified approximately $236 million in overdue charges across more than 60,000 accounts. United Way of Greater Atlanta reported receiving 829 requests for water bill assistance in its 13-county service area so far in 2026. That is down from 1,012 requests during the same period last year. These figures track financial assistance requests, not necessarily complaints about incorrect bills.

The City Utilities Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday at 10 a.m. Bakhtiari said the new billing programs and the city's unpaid accounts are expected to be discussed. Watershed leaders will provide ongoing updates. The Department of Watershed Management did not answer questions about Raw's current dispute or whether the new legislation applies to his case. The department said Commissioner Greg Eyerly and other leaders would be available for interviews the following week as the new initiative launches.

Raw views the changes as progress but says his personal battle continues. "To the people at Watershed, shame on you. It's disappointing. You know what's right. Just do the right thing," Raw said.