Why Your Alpharetta Water Bill Spiked — And the Fulton County Leak Credit You Should Know About
Your water bill doubled and you don't know why. Here's how to find the leak, how to file for Fulton County's one-time leak adjustment credit, and what documentation we provide to support the claim.
The water bill arrives. Last month was $87; this month is $340. Nothing in your routine changed. Nobody filled a pool. The kids didn't host a slumber party. What happened?
The most common answer is an undetected water leak somewhere in your plumbing system. Less common but still possible: a meter misread, a billing error, or a usage anomaly (a hose left running, a sprinkler controller stuck on). Either way, the path forward is the same: confirm whether you have a leak, find and fix it if you do, then file for the Fulton County leak adjustment credit if it applies.
Step 1: Confirm the leak exists
The water meter is your diagnostic anchor. Go to the meter pit at the curb. Lift the lid (the metal cover that says "WATER" or a green plastic cover on newer installs). The meter has either a digital display or an analog dial. The key feature to find is the leak indicator — a small triangle, a tiny dial, or a digital "+" symbol that moves when water is flowing through the meter, no matter how slowly.
Inside the house, make sure every fixture is closed:
- Every faucet off
- Every toilet has stopped refilling (wait until the tank is full and the fill valve is silent)
- Washing machine and dishwasher not running
- Ice maker off (the wire arm up, or unplug the fridge briefly)
- Irrigation system off at the controller AND at the manual override
- Hose bibs all closed (and not connected to a hose that might be leaking)
- Water heater not actively heating (this one is fine to leave alone — it doesn't draw water unless something else is using it)
Now watch the meter for 5-10 minutes. If the leak indicator moves at all, you have a leak. The speed of movement tells you the rough magnitude — barely visible movement is a slow drip; clear continuous movement is a meaningful leak.
Step 2: Narrow down where the leak is
Inside vs outside is the first split. Close the main shutoff valve where the water service enters your house. (Usually in a basement, crawl space, garage, or utility closet — see our main shutoff guide if you're not sure where yours is.) With the main closed, the meter should not move. If it still moves, the leak is between the meter and the main shutoff — typically the service line buried in your yard.
If the meter stops when you close the main, the leak is inside the house. Reopen the main and start eliminating zones. Common culprits in approximate order of frequency:
Running toilet. Surprisingly the leading cause of unexplained water bill spikes. A flapper that doesn't fully seal can silently leak hundreds of gallons a day. Listen at each toilet — a slight hiss or trickle is a sign. Or put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 15 minutes; if color appears in the bowl without flushing, the flapper is leaking.
Hidden supply leak inside a wall or under a floor. Damp drywall, paint discoloration, musty smell, warm or wet spots on floors are the indicators. Most often appears in walls behind kitchen sinks, bath fixtures, or laundry. See our slab leak symptoms guide if symptoms suggest the leak is under the slab.
Irrigation system leak. Even with the controller off, an irrigation system can leak through a stuck zone valve, a damaged underground line, or a backflow device that's failed. Lush patches in otherwise dry lawn, sunken areas, or persistent muddy spots are visible signs.
Service line leak in the yard. Between the meter and the house. Often shows up as the lush-grass-patch pattern. Common on homes with blue polybutylene service lines (1978-1996 construction).
Hose bib slow leak. Drips from outdoor hose bibs can run for months without notice.
Step 3: Get the leak fixed
For obvious leaks (running toilet, dripping faucet, accessible supply leak), homeowner repair or professional repair both work — the key is documentation. Save invoices, receipts for parts, and any service record. You'll need these for the leak credit application.
For hidden leaks, call us for professional leak detection. We pinpoint without speculative demolition, then either repair on the same visit or quote scheduled repair. Either way, our invoice itemizes the diagnostic work and the repair separately — the format Fulton County's leak adjustment program asks for.
Step 4: File for the Fulton County leak adjustment credit
Fulton County offers a one-time leak adjustment credit for residential customers who have experienced a leak. The credit reduces (but doesn't eliminate) the affected bill, applying an adjustment to bring it closer to your normal usage. Key requirements:
Submit within 30 days of the repair completion. Late submissions are typically denied.
Include a repair invoice or materials receipt. The county wants evidence the leak was actually repaired — either a plumber invoice (most common) or a receipt for the parts you bought if you did the repair yourself.
Use the official form. Available for download from the Fulton County water services site (link above). Don't try to submit a leak credit request by phone or email without the form.
Submission options: Email to Adjustment.Request@fultoncountyga.gov, drop off at the Fulton County Customer Service Center at 11575 Maxwell Rd in Alpharetta, or fax to 404-612-0333.
Processing typically takes 4-6 weeks. The credit appears on a subsequent billing cycle. Some leaks (irrigation leaks specifically, and certain types of slow leaks) have different treatment under the program — the form spells out exceptions.
What we provide to support a leak credit application
Our standard repair invoice includes everything Fulton County asks for: a description of the leak location, the date of repair completion, an itemized list of work performed, and the cost. If you tell us at the time of the call that you'll be submitting for the leak credit, we can format the invoice to match the program's specific requirements and include any extra documentation the form asks for.
For leaks we diagnosed but didn't repair (e.g., a leak you've fixed yourself with parts you bought), we can still provide a written diagnostic summary documenting the leak existed and where it was. Sometimes that's enough; sometimes the program wants a repair invoice specifically. Call the customer service line at (404) 612-6830 if you're uncertain whether your documentation is sufficient before submitting.
What the credit will and won't do
Will: Reduce the affected bill by adjusting the high portion of usage closer to your historical average. Apply to one billing cycle (sometimes two if the leak spanned the boundary). Provide meaningful financial relief on a large bill.
Won't: Bring the bill to zero. Apply to leaks that should have been caught earlier (the program isn't designed to subsidize multi-month ignored leaks). Apply to commercial customers under the residential leak adjustment terms.
Preventing the next one
Three habits prevent most water bill surprises:
1. Check your meter monthly. Even just glancing at the leak indicator with all fixtures off, once a month, catches developing leaks before they show up on a bill.
2. Replace toilet internals every 5-7 years. Flappers and fill valves are cheap and degrade gradually. Proactive replacement prevents silent overnight leaks.
3. Monitor irrigation system separately. Most leaks we see on irrigation accounts run for months because the homeowner doesn't watch that system closely. Consider an irrigation meter for the dual benefit of leak isolation and sewer-charge savings.
If you have an unexplained spike and aren't sure where to start, call (773) 207-0518. Diagnostic work is well-defined scope with predictable cost; you'll know what's happening within an hour or two of our arrival.
Live dispatcher · 24/7 · Licensed & insured