Town of Braselton, GA Water and Sewer Rates

02Water: a minimum, then three tiers

The Town's water rates start with a minimum, called a cost-of-service charge, that depends on meter size and includes the first 2,000 gallons. Most homes have a 3/4-inch meter. Usage above 2,000 gallons is billed per 1,000 gallons in three tiers that rise with use. Customers outside town limits pay a higher minimum for the same meter size.

For multi-unit developments, the Town notes that minimums are generally set by multiplying the number of units by the 3/4-inch minimum, or by the applicable minimum table, whichever is greater.

03Sewer: a minimum for the first 2,000 gallons, then two tiers

Residential sewer is billed the same way. The first 2,000 gallons carry a minimum charge, higher outside town limits, and each 1,000 gallons above that is billed at one rate up to 5,000 gallons and a higher rate above. Sewer is based on water use, so a leaking toilet or an irrigation habit raises both parts of the bill. Commercial sewer rates are separate.

04Deposits when you open an account

New water and sewer accounts take a deposit based on meter size and whether the property is inside or outside town limits. The Town says the deposit may be mailed with the application or added to the first month's bill, and asks customers with other meter sizes to call. Chapter 20 adds that deposits for larger meters are the utility director's estimate of two months of projected usage.

05Reading your bill

Each Town bill combines the water minimum for your meter size, any water usage above 2,000 gallons at the tiered rates, and, for sewer customers, the sewer minimum and any sewer usage above 2,000 gallons. If your bill jumps, compare the gallons billed with earlier months. A running toilet or an irrigation leak can add thousands of gallons a month, and because sewer charges follow water use, a leak raises both halves of the bill. The Town can make a special meter reading on request.

06Inside or outside town limits

The Town of Braselton's utility serves some customers outside its town limits, and those customers pay a higher minimum for water and sewer. Because Braselton spans four counties and four ZIP codes, the mailing address is not a reliable guide to whether a property is inside town limits. The Town's residents page and its utility office can confirm which rate applies to your account. Keep that in mind when you compare a sewer connection with a septic repair, since the outside-town minimums change the monthly side of the comparison.

07A short checklist

Confirm the county on your tax bill. Find the Environmental Health office for that county in the table on this page. Ask what kind of permit or evaluation your job needs and what documents the office requires. Ask whether a soil report is required and whether one is already on file. Get written quotes for the private work, including pumping, soil reports and repair labor. Make sure the contractor you hire is certified by the Georgia Department of Public Health, using the state's certification lists. Keep the permit, the inspection result and every receipt together. If anything is unclear, ask the office to confirm in writing by email. When the work is finished, file the paperwork where the next owner of the house will find it, since a buyer's inspector or lender may ask for it years from now.

08Billing questions and the comparison

Chapter 20 says that if a customer believes a bill is in error, the claim must be presented in person at the Town's utility billing office before the bill becomes delinquent, and that the customer may pay under protest without prejudicing the claim. The Town can also make a special meter reading on request.

To compare with septic, add a year of sewer charges at your expected use to the one-time connection charges in the connection guide, and set that against the permit fees and pumping costs of a septic system in the comparison. If your septic system is failing and sewer is available, state rules may make the decision for you; see the failure guide. For pumping or septic work, the Free Quote Request on this page sends your details to an independent provider.