A High Water Bill in Covington, GA: Find the Cause Before You Call

Which bill is it?

The answer to a high bill depends on who sent it. A City of Covington bill uses flat rates past the first 3,000 gallons; an NCWSA bill uses rising tiers. Oxford, Porterdale and Mansfield have their own systems on federal records, each with its own billing.

On a City bill, each thousand gallons past 3,000 adds $6.00 of water and $6 of sewer. On an NCWSA bill, the rate climbs from $3.34 per thousand at the bottom to $10.92 above 15,000 gallons, with sewer at $8.90 per thousand above the first 1,000. A month that doubles your use costs more than double on NCWSA because of the tiers.

The leak calculator lets you plug in your normal use and the extra gallons for either provider.

Compare the gallons, not the dollars

Dollar amounts move with rate changes and minimums; gallons do not. Find the usage on this month's bill and on the same month last year. A household that used 4,000 gallons last June and 14,000 this June has a problem worth chasing.

Look at the service period dates. A billing period a few days longer than usual adds a few days of use. And think about anything new at home: guests, a new lawn, a garden, a pressure washer, a water softener regenerating more than it should.

If none of that explains the gallons, the meter is the next stop.

Use the meter as a leak detector

Turn off every faucet and water-using appliance, then look at the meter. Most meters have a small leak indicator that spins when any water is passing. Movement with everything off means a leak.

Close the main shut-off in the house and look again. If the indicator stops, the leak is inside. If it keeps going, it is in the service line between the meter and the house, which often shows as a damp or unusually green strip in the yard.

Toilets are the usual indoor culprit. A few drops of food colouring in the tank will show up in the bowl within fifteen minutes if the flapper leaks. Check outside spigots, the water heater relief valve line and any irrigation zones as well.

If it was a pool

Filling a pool can put thousands of gallons through the meter in a day, and on a City account all of it is charged sewer as well as water. The City has a separate Sewer Adjustment Request Form for filling a swimming pool, which asks for the pool type and size and the start and finish dates and meter readings of the fill.

The form warns that if any of that information is missing, you will not be eligible for a sewer reduction. Write the readings down before you start the hose and again when you turn it off.

The pool fill page covers the form step by step.

If nothing explains it

Meters occasionally misread. NCWSA's fee sheet lists a meter testing fee of $50.00. City customers should ask the City about testing. Ask for a test only after the meter check has ruled out a leak, since a test that finds the meter accurate does not lower the bill.

If a leak was the cause and you are a City customer, the leak adjustment guide explains how the City discounts leaked water to $3.00 per thousand above your average for the two highest months, and when sewer is adjusted.

Keep paying the regular part of the bill while you sort it out. For City adjustments, the policy says no penalties accrue during review, but monthly payments are still required.

When to bring in a plumber

If the meter shows a leak you cannot find, a plumber with leak-locating equipment can trace it before cutting anything open. Tell them the gallon jump from your bill and what your meter test showed.

Ask for the invoice to state where the leak was and what was repaired. The City's leak policy requires a repair bill showing where the leak was fixed.

The Free Quote Request on this page goes to independent plumbers who work in Covington and the rest of Newton County. Mention which provider bills you.

Keep a simple usage log

Write down the gallons from each bill in a note on your phone, month by month. After a year you have your own average, which is what the City of Covington uses when it figures a leak adjustment, and you will spot an unusual month the moment the bill arrives.

If you want to go further, read the meter yourself on one fixed weekday. A sudden jump between two readings narrows down when a leak started, which helps both the plumber and the utility.

Talk to the utility early

If the bill is far above normal and you cannot pay it in full, call the utility before the due date rather than after. Ask what options exist and what it needs from you. Waiting usually adds penalties that no adjustment will remove.

Sources for this page: City of Covington, GA: Water Rate Information (rates as of November 1, 2025); Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority: FYE 2026 Budget & Financial Plan, retail service rates effective July 1, 2025 (PDF); Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority: Water and Sewer Fees, effective July 1, 2025 (PDF); City of Covington, GA: Leak Policy and Leak Adjustment Request Form (PDF); City of Covington, GA: Sewer Adjustment Request Form for Filling of Swimming Pool (PDF). Checked 2026-10-30.