FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — On Wednesday, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a 5% yearly rate increase for water and sewage to North Fulton residents, through 2027.
This is technically the first new increase the commission has approved since 2022, but commission documents show this is similar to that increase, which was also a 5% yearly increase for fiscal years 2023 to 2025.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The commission documents say the increased fees for water and sewer rates are for water connection fee modifications.
The first new fee will start Jan. 1, 2026, adding 5% to bills. A second 5% increase will come on Jan. 1, 2027.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Postal Service says many checks stolen through the mail are done by their own employees
- What’s being done to help Georgia families now that money to replace stolen SNAP benefits ran out?s
- Officials working to reverse land swap with defunct film studio in DeKalb County
According to a presentation at the commission regarding the water rate increase, "The Fulton County Water and Sewer system has seen steady increases in its operating revenue, expenses, depreciation expense, and operating income."
From 2021 to 2024, Fulton County saw its operating expenses rise more than $12 million, from $80.3 million in 2021 to $92.2 million in 2024.
The presentation also notes the yearly 5% increase is part of Fulton Water and Sewer’s effort to have a “consistent approach of increasing rates,” each year, which it showed had been the norm since 2016.
Based on provided figures, last year’s 5% increase was just 51 cents per base charge on a 5,000 gallon water meter. The cost average rose from $10.20 to $10.71 in 2025, according to county documents.
The county presentation shows average water bills for customers around the metro on a 5,000 gallon per month billing cycle are paying between $70 and $145, depending on location. The figures were provided for point of comparison.
Additionally, county documents show there is a split between water customers and sewer customers, with 24% of sewer customers not receiving water service from Fulton County.
North Fulton accounts for 55.6% of sewer customers, county records show. It amounts to roughly $62.3 million in revenue compared to South Fulton’s $45.6 million.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
