Atlanta, GA

Atlanta’s new watershed commissioner vows to tackle sky-high water bills with modern solutions

Published

9 months ago

July 8, 2025

Atlanta’s new watershed commissioner vows to tackle sky-high water bills with modern solutions

Why are some water bills so high?

For 3 years, FOX 5 has followed the stories of high water bills, seemingly with no explanation. Customers take it to the water appeals board often to only to be denied any sort of adjustment. We have followed some of these customers all the way to court, where judges have ruled in their favor. FOX 5 sat down with the new Watershed commissioner who tells us there are problems, with fixes on the way.

ATLANTA – For years, Atlanta residents have struggled with sky-high water bills that seemed to defy logic—and often, even evidence. Many took their complaints to the city’s Water and Sewer Appeals Board, only to be denied adjustments. But now, a new commissioner at the helm of the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management is pledging to fix a system that critics say has long failed its customers.

“We got to move from being where we are, both with the reliability [and] the accuracy. 99.9% is not good enough,” said Commissioner Greg Eyerly, who stepped into the role just three months ago. “We got to be like the airlines… 99.999999% accurate.”

Eyerly is taking over as the department faces scrutiny over malfunctioning meters, outdated technology, and a lack of transparency that has left customers in the dark—sometimes literally.

$12K water bill for retiree

What we know:

One of those customers is Jeffrey Williams, a retiree who says his water bill jumped from $153 a month to over $12,000 during a four-month stretch in 2022. “It started off with what I thought was a simple situation of our meter not accurately reporting our water usage,” he said.

Williams hired a plumber who confirmed a faulty meter, but the city’s appeals board still denied his request for an adjustment.

“I move that there is no adjustment,” a board member said during Williams’ hearing.

$81K water bill for unused property

What they’re saying:

The same outcome befell Gail Mapp, who contested $81,000 in bills for an unused property on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. Her water bills had been $13.12 a month until a city register replacement. Neither her own plumbers nor city inspectors found leaks. Still, the board rejected her appeal.

Both Williams and Mapp sued the city. Both won.

“And I think that’s where, you know, this rub is,” said Mapp. “Why is the board denying some of these claims when there really is no evidence of a leak or anything else?”

Atlanta’s Water and Sewer Appeals Board

The other side:

The Water and Sewer Appeals Board is an independent body appointed by the Atlanta City Council. But the utility’s challenges extend beyond governance.

“We have meters now that have broken and we have to go out and fix them,” said Eyerly. “That’s why we end up with estimated reads—because the meter is broken.”

Eyerly said about 174,000 accounts are currently on the system, and even a small percentage of faulty meters can have a large impact.

He believes modernizing the city’s 15-year-old metering system is the key to reducing these billing issues. “That technology was the best available at the time… it’s past time [to change it]. So that’s what we’re doing,” he said.

Atlanta Watershed upgrades

What’s next:

The department is now beginning a six-year rollout of upgraded smart meters that will give customers real-time access to their water usage.

“It’s not a black box anymore,” Eyerly said. “You know exactly what your readings are—all the time.”

Atlanta Watershed field inspections

What you can do:

In the meantime, the department is encouraging customers who suspect an issue to request field inspections. Eyerly said the department is also ramping up maintenance efforts and proactively replacing registers.

“We want to reduce the number of people that have these disputes,” Eyerly said. “We want to put common sense back into this.”

Mayor Dickens $2B infrastructure investment

Dig deeper:

Earlier this year, Mayor Andre Dickens announced a $2 billion, 20-year investment to overhaul Atlanta’s aging water infrastructure. For frustrated customers, relief may finally be in sight—but it could still be years away.

The Source: FOX 5 spoke with Atlanta Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Greg Eyerly for this article. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used.

AtlantaNewsAtlanta City CouncilAndre Dickens

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Atlanta, GA

Power outage impacts more than 5,000 customers in Midtown Atlanta

Published

10 hours ago

March 27, 2026

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Power outage impacts more than 5,000 customers in Midtown Atlanta

Updated on: March 27, 2026 / 9:48 AM EDT
/ CBS Atlanta

Thousands of people are without power in Midtown Atlanta as crews work to restore service following an equipment failure, according to Georgia Power.

The outage affected nearly 5,300 customers, stretching from Currier Street Northeast to 11th Street.

Georgia Power said the outage was caused by an equipment issue, and crews are on-site making repairs.

Officials added that, thanks to smart grid technology, service is expected to be remotely restored to more than half of affected customers soon.

An estimated restoration time was listed at 10:15 a.m.

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Atlanta, GA

The Best Vintage Shops in Atlanta

Published

22 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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Vogue’s guide to the best vintage stores in Atlanta is part of our directory of the very best vintage around the world, curated by editors from all over. Whether you’re traveling and searching for some superb stores to visit on your trip or are curious about your local vintage treasure chests, Vogue’s directory has you covered.

Come to Atlanta for its southern charm and lush greenery, stay for its vintage. The Hollywood of the South has a lot more than on-set locations and an upcoming roster of FIFA World Cup games, and whether exploring shops along the Beltline, losing your voice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, or itching for the eccentric pleasures of a roadside antique mall, these vintage gems make the journey to the A more than worth it.

Photo: Courtesy of The Clothing Warehouse

Dutch field pants, netted shirts, prairie dresses, and a floor-to-ceiling selection of cowboy boots are a few of the many goods awaiting your search at this Atlanta mainstay. Opened by Jim Buckley in 1992, the Clothing Warehouse now calls the hipster Little 5 Points home. Its redbrick exterior is hard to miss—head upstairs for womenswear and union-made dresses, then downstairs to a room of seriously color-coded tees—it’s likely you will find plenty of Atlanta history in the form of 1996 Summer Olympics shirts. Plus, its wholesale location is a 15-minute drive away in West Midtown, if you’re up for an afternoon dig.

Address: 420 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta

At the vintage and makers market Mother Lode, there’s something for every lover of old things. Founder Lindsay Short’s estate sale background is well-reflected in the shop’s range of garments, decor, and wares. Find 1930s beach pajamas beside bowling shirts and Edwardian tunics at Fellows Vintage’s booth, or ’60s wedding dresses that seem more Factory Girl than bride-to-be from Iron Pony. The hunt continues at Mother Lode’s sister location in college town Athens, which opened in 2023.

Address: 3429 Covington Hwy Ste B, Decatur

Monet Brewerton-Palmer first got her love for bridal from her grandmother, who was a shop seamstress. Then, after shopping for her own wedding dress in 2014 and ending up with four, her interest (and personal collection) only grew. Now, Brewerton-Palmer offers brides an array of dresses by Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Catherine Rayner, and more. Standout pieces include a 1959 one-of-one from Jacques Heim, a silk rose-covered Christian Dior for the romantic, and a fur-accented Muriel Martin for the nontraditionalist.

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Atlanta, GA

Former Atlanta principal back at his old school as its new handyman:

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

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Former Atlanta principal back at his old school as its new handyman:

Retirement did not last long for one Atlanta school principal.

After 10 years leading Burgess Peterson Academy, David White is back, and this time he’s making sure everything inside the school’s building runs smoothly.

White retired last September from being the school’s principal, but home didn’t suit him for long.

“I found myself really kind of lonely and disconnected,” White said. “I had lost my sense of community, for sure, so when this position became available, I kind of laughed because I used to say that it would be the perfect retirement job.”

Retirement didn’t suit former principal David White, so now he’s back as the handyman at the Atlanta school he led to make sure everything runs smoothly.

CBS News Atlanta

White applied for the open site manager position and got the job. Now he enjoys being back in the same halls that bring him joy.

He is six weeks into the new job.

“I find myself now always looking to see if there are lights that are burned out, if there are issues that need to be addressed,” said White. “There’s always the need for touch-up painting, right? Because kids have dirty little hands, and they love to pick paint.”

During CBS News Atlanta’s visit, White was repairing a broken lightbulb in the boy’s bathroom.

“The light started flickering, like, just blinking off and on, and so of course the kids were saying it was haunted,” he said.

Around the school, his impact hasn’t faded.

Students and staff light up when they see him.

“It’s been really great to see their excitement to be here every day and to see Mr. White,” said principal Dr. Holly Brookins. “I really feel that having him back has added so much value to our community, and it’s really been a joyful thing for all of us.”

With a tool belt and new titles, White proves that no matter the role, some people never stop showing up for the places they love.

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