My water is going out constantly and when you call they have 0 customer service. They yell at you, accuse you of yelling, hang up on and belittle you. James the manager and apparently the only James there talks to you like you are stupid and is just as rude as the rest of the staff there. They have no empathy or grace for the people of Dekalb county without water. I'm not really sure what their job is over there besides yelling at hanging up on you. If there was another water option I'd take it. read more

Sooooo.... What do you do when you have been calling and asking for a roll cart, for 3 months. Each time you will get apologies and I'm going to email that department to see what's going on and have a nice day. Meanwhile no trash pick up and the dogs and vultures are having a field day in the garbage. Arrive home from work to a trash all over my yard and in my neighbor's yard. I'm already tired now I have to get the trash out of their yard and mine. Meanwhile I'm a tax payer but can't get any service. we need an area for zero stars. read more

Is there a rating less than 1? Is there a source other than Dekalb County for water? My $1000 water bill has been adjusted by $0 which they say is my average usage - after I paid $1700 to replace my water line (no leak found), after they replaced the meter, and after I now truly use $12.00 per month. Wish there were a rating less than 1. read more

Very greedy organization. Want customers to pay a additional fee for online payment. This is just another example of a corporation giving its customers the business. read more

Our water bill was outrageous for no reason so we emailed the Dekalb county customer assurance team. They responded promptly, sent someone to check the meter and found out it was a faulty old meter that didn't read correctly. ShaVonna West was extremely helpful, not only did she make sure someone came to switch out the meter, but also followed up promptly to make sure we were eventually billed correctly. She was very responsible and on top of things! I wanted to make sure Shavonna is recognized. read more

They are real ass holes! They are gonna cut my parents water bill off without any help from anyone. 4500.00 bill seriously? I'm not responsible for that. My parents are deceased. They admitted that I wasn't responsible but wouldn't let me open up an account on my own ! Wish there was another company to deal with or I could get a half decent person to speak to with regard to all this. read more

Services run hot and cold but it is better than toting buckets. I'm so glad that I don't have to haul buckets from the branch like my grandparents did. It is great to have steady running water at the house but if Yelp had a button that flickered between 1 and 5 I'd use it. They do things that make me crazy, About 18 months ago, after they voted for a rate hike, they started just charging everyone for 20000 gallons. Several of my bull-doging clients went down to fight it and didn't make any headway. My neighbor got his water cut off because he couldn't afford it. So the neighbor has been getting water out of my faucet for a long time and hopes to get it cut back on next month. When I talked to a county commissioner, she was no help and assured me that other places, like the local pools had REAL problems. I usually pay my bill in person and the service there is usually quick and friendly with a few exceptions. read more

Dekalb County Water and Sewer should be ashamed of how they treat their customers. Response times to issues are borderline barbaric. Every employee I have spoken to tells a different lie and refuses to put me in touch with a supervisor. I'm told there is a supervisor named Mr. Kennedy but he will not answer the phone nor return messages (so who knows if he's even a real person). I've been without water for 6 days now and I don't believe anyone at Dekalb Water and Sewer is ever going to help. Shameful. read more

What a HORRIFIC telephone CUSTOMER SERVICE system! I just want to turn my water off because I am moving. I get an automated response system which boasts that I can now speak with a LIVE PERSON with extended hours, then only gives me the automated option! Then once connected to the automated options, it has NO OPTION to suspend my service. Good Lord! read more

This is the most incompetent government agency I have ever dealt with. I closed on a home Friday. I contacted the water company in order to have the service transferred into my name (the water was already on). I maneuvered the automated system which kept hanging up on me and then sat on hold for 1.5 hours. Finally someone picked up and I was told to fax the application, a copy of my id, and the HUD from the purchase of the home. I spent another hour trying to fax the documents to their busy fax line. Finally, late Friday it was done. Monday afternoon I called to confirm that my paperwork was received. I again sat on hold for over an hour. I was told that everything was fine and that they had received my paperwork. I was told that they had transferred the account to my name. They asked if the water needed to be turned on or if it was already on. Since the water was on all weekend I informed them that the water was already on. I was then told that someone would still come out to read the meter. Monday night when I got home the damn water was OFF. Apparently Monday morning when I was at work they turned my water OFF!!! Even though my paperwork was received. Even though the account was transferred into my name. I am now sitting in a house with no water 2 days before Thanksgiving with family coming into town. S*** Heads!! :P read more

Dekalb County Water and Sewer should just change their Mission and Vision to We give you the best SEWAGE in all departments, from customer service, to service calls, to billing, to anything that closely resembles HELP. They not only have a system the defrauds thousands, and I do mean thousands of customers monthly, but their employees are trained in a system of ask but don't tell; Don't tell the customers anything about their bill, don't explain anything, and be sure to get them confused as hell about the billing process. The sad thing is that we really don't have a choice and until we all rise up... we are all at a loss. SMH..... and this what our tax dollars are paying for. read more

Another reviewer said it best- ORGANIZED CRIME. Zero accountability Zero ethics Zero responsibility and outright theft. Would give negative 10 stars if I could. They mistakenly put a charge on my account of $441 that was for the PRIOR owner of my property. It tooks weeks but I finally get them to agree it was a mistake on their part and the $441 should be removed. They told me to cancel my check sent to pay this amount. My next bill includes a $30 returned check fee and late fee... a late fee for an amount THEY LITERALLY TOLD ME NOT TO PAY. I've now been fighting the returned check fee and late fee. Per the directions of a rep on the phone I emailed a formal request in writing to cust service explaining the situation and asking for these to be removed. An auto generated reply said to allow 3 days for a response. Two weeks later nothing, so I called today. They said cust service had denied the claim - no particular reason, just said it was just the discretion of whoever reviewed my request. I asked why I had not heard back from anyone and they said I quote "unfortunately customer service is not required to let you know what their decision is. It is up to each reps discretion.". What? Unfortunately I just can't fight them anymore. Congrats Dekalb Co, YOU WIN. I give up. Cherry on top? To pay my final bill (as you all know) costs a $4 fee to pay on line or via the phone. Have to go in person or mail a check. Unfortunately I just don't think they are even responsible enough to not lose my check and to apply it correctly. Honestly afraid of mailing them a check, so guess I'll be paying an EXTRA $4 for money they are already STEALING FROM ME. read more

Unprofessional and uneducated staff. Long response time and sometimes takes weeks for a "manager" to reply to your email(since they claim you can not directly speak with a manager). All they did was giving us a run around for 1 full month and not even performing our request. We requested the meter to be pulled out since tenant has been using our account for months. They never removed the meter after 1 month wait and checking a few times every week. After that, tenant started stealing water from the city by bypassing the meter with a pipe. Not only they did not show any action but when we notified them they removed the illegal piece installed by tenant and installed a new meter for them instead. I spoke with several staff and even a "manager" but all they were capable of doing was to simply note my calls and put it on the file. Huge waste of time for us. They need to be trained much better or be replaced (I am talking about the ones that I spoke with during this whole time). Such a shame for Dekalb county with these people. read more

No water cut off no warning and told it will take 9 days to get our water turned on...... just got a house in dekalb which use to be a good county...... isnt it supposed to be illegal to withold basic necessities from the American citizen? and im told it will be done when the next tech is available? are they really that short of techs that they cant just turn the water on? cant bathe cant get clean dishes/clothes..... no plumbing nothing..... read more

Absolutely the worst customer service with the nicest people. I know it's an oxymoron, but if you're new to the area, make sure you apply for water at least two weeks before you move in.... Which means you cannot move into your house until two weeks after closing. I submitted my application via email after I received the application from them via email. After gathering all of the information they ask for that is excessive in itself, I submitted my application twice (Tuesday 11/9 and 11/10) over a week before moving into my house on Wednesday 11/17. I called on the Friday (11/12) after submitting because I hadn't heard anything and was told that they are processing and I should hear something by EOD Friday or Monday at latest. On Monday afternoon (11/15), I called and was told they never received the application either of the two times I emailed and called once before. Then, I learned that their system does not accept emails from Apple (me and iCloud) accounts which millions of people use and none of this is mentioned despite them sending an email to my address on the front end. I resubmitted and was told that no one (supervisor) could expedite my service and it would take up to 5 days for the service to be connected. Needless to say, I'm moving into a house without water, so no bathroom, cooking, or showers for a few days until water is reconnected. I didn't fail to follow their directions and over a week fits their 5 day turnaround. It's just at my expense that they do not care. Nicest people, but no help or urgency whatsoever! read more

The Dekalb County water service is the most horrible example of terrible service from a governmental agency that I have ever experienced. I have been attempting to turn on my water at a house I am buying, and I needed some assistance. One listed telephone number does not allow you to speak to a live representative. I found another telephone number which did allow that option, and I was told that I was "number 20" in line. I waited over an hour on hold. When I finally got to speak with an operator, she hung up on me! It is a travesty. I wish I could find out who is responsible for running this agency, so as a soon to be Dekalb resident, I could vote them out. If this were a private corporation, they would be out of business. It is disgusting and unforgivable. We were able to turn on every other utility over the phone. Their system is antiquated and horribly user unfriendly. read more

Organized crime is no different than a corner drug dealer or car theft ring other than the fact that it's done out in the open and often under an umbrella of legitimacy. Dekalb water represents the worst kind of corruption because recourse is limited and often futile. We have lived in the area for only a few months but have already received our first $550 water bill. Me, my wife and a few pets. No pool, no car wash or water park out back. After the shock of this astronomical injustice, we switched to bathing in French champagne since I figured that would save us a few bucks. I would not be surprised if a portion of our bills are being funneled to the Clinton Global Initiative or some other shady ponzi scheme. In any case, we complained months ago but that seems to have evaporated into a black hole of nothing. Fortunately there is a lot of pressure coming from the community and a Facebook group dedicated to subject. read more

Dekalb County Water/Sewer Service - Liquid gold - Public Services & Government Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Water is brown now for two days. No notification or warning. Calling them yielded no helpful information. Good thing no one inadvertently drank the brown water but we did wash fruits and vegetables with it before we noticed. Just seems like more of the same gross mismanagement from Dekalb County Water as we are used to. They should do what GA Power does: text us if there is a problem. Dekalb Water has my email and phone number. How hard could it be? And how many people might get sick from not knowing their water is contaminated? Is it feces or dirt? read more

First, you'll need a certificate from a plumber that says the toilets are low-flow to get an account. Start asking your landlord or the seller of your home for this early on because you'll need it to get the water account changed into your name. If you are purchasing a house without low-flow toilets, you will need to have them replaced before you can get a permit. Good to know, as you can put this requirement in the sales contract when purchasing a home. Once you have that, it's easy to walk into this office with your application (forms online), proof you rent or live there, and walk out with a permit. The workers are friendly and helpful. Parking lots and street parking are always full or restricted to employee parking so park in the multi-story parking deck across the street and pay the $6 fee. Another problem is their phone system. It is not possible to speak with someone if you have a question; you have to trot down there and stand in line just to ask a simple question. If it was not for this phone problem I would probably rate the process 4 Stars or better. read more

We have had multiple back ups in our sewer line over the years, like today. Dekalb water and sewer service has never let me down ..they were here within an hour, everything is fixed. Nicest people and great service. read more

Pathetic! Can't tell you anything. Everything takes 1-5 business days. They don't care at all about you or your situation. You're better off talking to a wall for answers to basic questions like when will my water be turned on. The answer to everything is 1-5 days. Unbelievably sad that I'm paying for this service. Smh. read more

Bought a new house in Dekalb County and attempted to just place the water in my name. They make it so hard. It's silly.

DeKalb Watershed services are the absolute WORSE and the employees who are employed aren't any better. I bill pay my acct which has taken more than 2 weeks AFTER the check left my bank to get cashed. In fact...it hasn't been cashed at all which has cause my account to incur a late fee! I then speak with Glenda who states she was in leadership who told me she doesn't suggest I stop payment, I can't speak with a manager for 3 business days, and I'm going to get ANOTHER FEE if I stop the payment. I am LIVID!! Everyone knows we CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT WATER!! THESE PEOPLE (poor customer reps/GLENDA) make it so hard to transact simple business in the world!! And the finale...I STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE MY MONEY IS!!!$ read more

I was scared to call after the DeKalb County Water Dept due to the horrible reviews I read....but I tried my luck. I called at 5:20 pm and got a live person, Adriane Glass. I needed to change my last name (I got married 3 years ago and never changed my last name on this account). I am now renting my house to a relative and my current last name (used on the lease) did not match their records, so they would not switch over the water service to my relative. Adriane Glass was professional, courteous and accommodating (when I didn't have a fax machine to fax over my marriage license, she accepted an email copy). She said if I email it over right now she will change the name on the account today. I can't wait to see if this actually happens! Fingers crossed.... Kim T read more

THE WORST!!!! They up your milege rate and charge you what they want to. You can't reach a live person when you have a problem w/your bill. VERY FRUSTRATING! Just me and my husband and my bill went from 98.00 to 345.72!!! Nothing changed!! No leaks....so why the BIG jump!!!! No reason and the sad part is I CAN'T TALK TO ANYONE.....will keep trying though. They need some competition!!! read more

Just terrible. Billing is difficult, sewer rates are maddening. even if you use hardly any water, you will still face a whopper of a bill. asking questions? good luck with that. Arg read more

Government monopoly at it's finest. My daughter bought and moved into a new house on Friday. The water was already on, just needed to be switched to her name. The water is now off and she's been told it won't be back on for a week. read more

We need a legislative change in Dekalb county. The water service is unacceptable....just read these reviews. It needs to start from the top. I am currently sitting in a home without water after 10+ guarantees it would be on today. WHO is responsible for this??? It's not the workers we're speaking with. This is a top down problem. read more

It's kind of odd to rate a gov entity because obviously -- there is nothing we can do to change anything to make it better in the near term. I am like others that recently moved to Dekalb from Fulton (Fulton is a dream in comparison). Previous owners were quick to shut off their water. I emailed all my paperwork in day after closing. I received auto response that it was received. When calling to confirm (I am no dummy) they had not received it. There was one person who was great enough to work with me personally and enter all of my information on the same day! THANK YOU! But that didnt help the situation. Because its 1-5 business days (sometimes 1-3 depending on who you talk to) FROM when the account is set up to have a truck come by to turn it back on. Seems like a lot of waste of resources to turn it off...turn it back on. Luckily I have low flow toilets......Could be 2 weeks total without water at no fault of my own. WARNING if you are moving to Dekalb and buying a home -- ask nicely that the previous owners NOT switch off the water on day of closing but give you some time to switch it over.....can't wait to switch over my license and tags..... read more

Terrible and rude customer service. Back in June, 2012- When I started service they informed me that it was active at my location the day before I moved in (Friday). However, when I moved in on Saturday, I found that there was no water. I called emergency services and they told me that there was a meter and that I should have water and that this was not an emergency. I assured them that I did not have water and they told me to call back on Monday. I discovered that they had actually removed the meter from the premises. I called back multiple times, only to go to vm each time. Finally I reached someone else, and they came out 3 hours later. Jan, 2013 They worked on the waterlines in my neighborhood over a week and a half ago, that resulted in a significant build up of mud in my driveway. I have reached out to customer service 6 times regarding the issue. I was directed to the emergency service line on one occassion, and when I called the woman scoffed and might request and bullied me through the call. She actually said "We can't help you. We have other people to deal with that have actually emergencies." I've emailed, called, and no response. I was assured by 2 regular customer service reps that someone would come by and take care of the problem. There still has not been any follow through. The mud has been tracked up my driveway, into my car port, into my house. It's stained clothing, and is all over my car. I just want them to clean up the significant mess they made. I've been extremely patient and polite up until this point. But this is absolutely ridiculous. read more

Wish I had another company to choose to do business with. They take all of us for granted because they're our only choice. They cut off my water in error. I had to leave work to get it straightened out. The phone system is a joke, like everybody else said. It used to be better. I remember being able to get a helpful person on the line within a minute or two. Now? 20-45 minutes. Who has time for that during a work day? Nobody. They gave a half-hearted apology for their error, but no credit...I asked. My family was without water for 8-9 hours. Not cool! Eff-em! read more

The absolute worse customer service I have ever had to deal with. I built a home in Dekalb County late last year and the water company has been a nightmare. They claim I have two meters on my property. I contested. I should know...I built the damn house. They came out and stated that I was correct I do not have two meters and therefore should not be charged for two meters. I paid my water bill for my ONE METER. The second and incorrect bill was supposed to be eradicated and sent to their audit department. I have been fighting with the water company for three months. They want me to pay for a bill that isn't mine and is threatening to turn my water off this month because the incorrect meter and bill associated with it has my address on it. I have talked to numerous customer service agents and two managers, one manager was even decent enough to give me a direct line...THAT HE NEVER ANSWERS. So, I guess I will to have trek down to Decatur and see someone face to face about getting this second bill eliminated. I am tired and I am pissed and this is ridiculous that you have to do all of this........for your damn water. read more

The main problem with writing a review is that we have no other company to switch to for service! For 2 billing cycles, we received bills which were almost tripled. We tried to contacted the water/sewer company (which was not easy to do), and went in person to speak face to face. After the company asked for us to jump through hoops to defend ourselves and make sure we didn't have a leak or major issue on our end, they agreed to have a new meter installed. Then the next bill received was miraculously more accurate before the new meter was even installed. If you ask me, this all seems like a red flag for a great money making scheme for DeKalb County. I made a post on Facebook and found out that others had similar problems in DeKalb County... hmmmmmm..... The Public Service Commission does not handle water/sewer so where can we go next? Doesn't seem like anyone gives a care except those of us who are being ripped off. Sucks. Wish I could click on a negative star rating. Guess we could move out of DeKalb County? read more

Horrible. This would never fly in the private sector. Today I tried to call and got recording saying due to technical difficulties, call back later. Over the years, the attitude of employees has improved to unimagineably belligerent to friendly and acknowledging problems. I have always been friendly and patient no matter the attitude of one of their "customer care" people. The most recent debacle ... They tried to debit my bank account for a five figure bill causing NSF fees. When I called to politely bring it to their attention, my water got cut off. They apparently discontinued the automatic debit they screwed up and neglected to inform me. When I tried to have it reconnected, the first person with whom I spoke said it didn't happen with my first request because all faucets needed to be in ON position. No, this is questionable. The second person with whom I spoke confirmed they needed to be in OFF position. Can we just take DeKalb County government and put it in their Sanitation services landfill and maybe the whole thing will implode on itself? After all the years of thievery, corruption, investigations that went nowhere and the way the corruption was handled, it's clearly hopeless and a new start is obviously the solution. read more

bad experience,my brother and I were roomates and the bill was in his name,he was moving out and I went to change service in my name,did so with no problem until the day his service was turned on at his new place,mine was turned off, it was made clear that we didn't want interruption in service and was assured there wouldn't be,so I called and they said they would send someone out, ok fine,i left home and when I returned later on that evening,no water,i called the emergency phn. # and was told I would have to wait to Monday to call water dept. mine you I had kids one infant that I had to make formular for and other things that requires WATER,thats just bad business,now I have to make other arrangements for kids,i could see if I didn't pay bill and it was turned off,but bill was in good standings,just bad if I had another choice in another water co.i would switch but not an option,people should be held accountable for their wrong doings,that was just wrong now I have to suffer all wknd without water read more