Augusta Utilities is asking customers with new water meters to check their bills and report leaks or damage. Here is why bills can change and who to call.

Augusta Utilities is asking customers who get a new water meter to watch their water use and check their next bills.

Customers who see an unusually high bill, a leak, property damage or another problem after the swap should call Augusta Utilities customer service at 706-821-1851. The utility said so in a city notice on Friday.

The notice does not say how many complaints the utility has received. It gives no figures for how far bills have moved.

Why the meters are being replaced

The city started the work in June. It is a five-year project to replace water meters across Augusta, according to the city’s June 11 announcement. Crews began Monday, June 15, in the Jamestown subdivision. They stay in one area until it is finished, then move to the next.

Utilities Director Wes Byne set out the plan for the commission’s Engineering Services Committee on June 9. His committee briefing says the project will:

  • replace every meter with a Neptune Mach 10 ultrasonic meter, accurate to a hundredth of a gallon
  • add an Itron cellular transmitter to every meter, so readings arrive automatically
  • record the GPS location of every meter
  • inspect every service line to record what it is made of

Why a bill can go up after the swap

The briefing gives one reason a bill may rise with no change in how much water a household uses. Augusta’s meters average more than 25 years old. As meters age they slow down, so they record less water than actually passes through them. The briefing says that has left the utility underbilling customers.

A new, accurate meter ends that. A bill that rises after the swap may simply reflect water that the old meter missed.

A higher bill can also mean a leak, a fault or a problem with the installation. That is the case the city’s Friday notice covers, and the utility wants to hear about it.

What the new meters can do

The utility recommended Itron’s cellular system in 2025, and the June briefing says crews are now fitting Itron transmitters. The March 2025 committee paper says the system will report at least hourly usage at every home and business it serves. The paper put the first three years’ cost at $7,016,871.60, paid from the city’s 2024 bond issue.

The city’s June announcement says the new meters will:

  • give customers more timely information on their water use
  • help spot possible leaks earlier
  • cut the need for staff to read meters by hand
  • let the utility respond to service problems faster once the system is fully running

What it means for you

  • If crews are coming to your street, the city said customers get advance notice. Most swaps cause only a brief break in water service.
  • After the swap, compare your next few bills with the same months last year. Check around the meter box and the line to your house for pooling water or damage.
  • If something looks wrong, call Augusta Utilities customer service at 706-821-1851. Our guide to who to call at City Hall has the utility’s other numbers, including the after-hours line for a broken water line.
  • If the cause is a leak on your side of the meter, the repair is yours. The city’s leak adjustment rules say Augusta Utilities may still reduce the bill if:
  • you did not know about the leak
  • you told the utility promptly
  • the month’s use was well above your average
  • a licensed plumber certifies the repair, or you show a receipt for repair materials with a notarized statement
  • the repair was made right away

Under those rules, an approved adjustment charges your average use plus half of the extra water. Adjustments cover no more than two months, and no more than two are allowed in a year.

Separately, the city’s proposed 2027 budget would raise water and sewer rates 6.5% from January. The commission is scheduled to vote Nov. 17; our budget story has the details.