City of Atlanta has over $120 million in uncollected, overdue water bills

ATLANTA — The Metropolis of Atlanta has over $120 million in uncollected water and sewer payments, and it has performed little or no about it.

Channel 2′s Richard Belcher was dwell at Metropolis Corridor when town promised a 12 months in the past that it was getting ready to crack down on excellent payments. Nonetheless, it has not occurred but.

The newest delay got here when town postponed a so-called amnesty program in March. Some folks will nonetheless wrestle to pay if town will get robust on funds. Though town is aware of loads of folks pays, it simply doesn’t hassle.

Channel 2 used the state’s open data regulation to get an enormous database of unpaid water and sewer payments from a 12 months in the past.

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It seems that 14,000 prospects have unpaid payments of at the very least $1,000, and almost a thousand accounts had unpaid payments of $20,000 or extra, totaling almost $130 million.

Howard Shook, chair of town utilities committee, thinks folks must be placed on plans.

“Folks must be placed on plans. We’re not right here to throw anybody out on the street, however we’ve acquired to let folks know that water’s not free,” mentioned Shook.

Final December, the Metropolis of Atlanta Division of Watershed Administration advised Channel 2 that town would start to crack down early within the 12 months. However Shook mentioned he has not seen a change, even a 12 months later.

He additionally mentioned that the Division of Watershed Administration has been inactive and considerably uncooperative.

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“For the final couple of months now, we’ve been awaiting the promised checklist of the worst debtors, which all the time makes an fascinating learn. Typically, it results in accounts getting cleaned up,” mentioned Shook.

The Metropolis Council is hopeful that change will come after the amnesty interval.

“As soon as we get by way of that amnesty interval, we need to assess the affect. Hopefully, constructive affect of that interval and our prospects which can be introduced into compliance,” mentioned the Metropolis Council.

However thus far there was no amnesty and definitely no launch of a significant program to chop folks off who haven’t paid. The present numbers are as follows:

• Single-family accounts owe $87 million.
• Industrial accounts owe virtually $12 million.
• Multi-family accounts owe almost $25 million.

Altogether, virtually $124 million in complete are owed.

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