DeKalb CEO: water billing disputes now low; county names Urban League as consumer advocate and outlines payment, outreach policies

DeKalb County officials told the Board of Commissioners Tuesday they have sharply reduced the number of active water billing disputes from a peak measured in prior years and that the county will work with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta to operate consumer advocacy and income-based assistance tied to the county's water affordability resolution.

Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Cochran Johnson and watershed staff said the volume of active disputes is now in the double digits. Cochran Johnson said DeKalb had 233 disconnections by April last year; in 2025 year-to-date there have been 89 disconnections and, at the time of the briefing, 82 open disputes. The county presented an outstanding balance to the utility of $104,719,076.56, with residential owners responsible for about $45,086,390.70, residential tenants $22,150,010.29, condominiums $25,489,316.01 and apartment communities $11,993,359.56.

"I want to assure you that mass disconnections are not taking place," Cochran Johnson said. She said the county has replaced more than 104,000 meters and deployed "smart technology" for more accurate billing and near-real-time usage data.

Cochran Johnson announced the selection of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta as the county's consumer advocate. She said the Urban League will assist in structuring the county's income-sensitivity rate program and in helping ratepayers enroll; the county said it plans to automatically qualify SNAP and Medicaid recipients for the sensitivity program and to use HUD guidelines for other households showing need. Cochran Johnson said the county will require documentation for sensitivity plan participation and that the Urban League will verify eligibility.

Watershed staff described the county's current collection approach: the county focuses on accounts with outstanding balances of $3,000 or more with no contact for 30 days; staff proactively call, mail and email accounts with long delinquency; a 10-day disconnection notice is mailed after 30 days of no response; and a disconnect for nonpayment or for water waste may follow if there is no response. Watershed staff said the department now encourages customers to call and set up payment plans before disruption of service; automated outbound reminders and an updated dispute portal with a QR code were also cited.

Staff said they are offering installment plans, typically asking for a 10% downpayment as a baseline, with flexibility for hardship; the county said payment plans can extend up to seven years in accordance with a prior resolution. Watershed director and customer-service staff asked commissioners to refer constituents directly to the customer service team rather than publicly demanding immediate shutoff reversals.

Commissioners pressed staff on detail and transparency. Commissioner Robert Patrick asked for regular debriefs so commissioners can better help constituents; staff agreed to provide materials and allow commissioners to sit in on consumer consultations with the recorded consent of the caller. Commissioner Terry pressed for clarity about how many of the roughly 11,000 delinquent accounts are in line for shutoff and how many are already on payment plans; staff said they could provide more detail drawn from the aging report and reported that $28 million of delinquent balances were currently in installment plans but many such plans have historically defaulted. Commissioner Shakira Johnson and others supported the Urban League selection and asked for quarterly follow-ups.

Why it matters: The briefing aimed to balance debt collection and affordability protections as DeKalb implements a rate increase and a county resolution requiring an affordability program by Jan. 1, 2026. Commissioners and staff agreed on continued outreach, recorded consultations and a public-facing dispute portal and toolkit to help residents navigate payment options.

County officials said they will bring a draft contract with the Urban League and the final structure of the income-sensitivity program back to the board for review.