Special master finds water surcharge on Sandy Springs customers unjustified
A ruling by a special master in Sandy Springs’ water rate lawsuit with the City of Atlanta may lead to residents getting their bills cut by 20 percent or more.
Mayor Rusty Paul announced on social media that the special master appointed in the lawsuit ruled in Sandy Springs’ favor.
“The dispute was whether Atlanta Water can charge our citizens a surcharge for the water it supplies to Sandy Springs, and the court found it is actually cheaper to provide water here than to virtually any other customers,” Paul said in his post. “Thus, the current surcharge is not justified.”
The mayor said the city expects a final order by the Superior Court that will open negotiations with Atlanta over the correct rates to charge Sandy Springs residents. Paul said Sandy Springs expects the ruling to reduce water rates by 21 to 23 percent.
The fight over water rates began before Sandy Springs became a city. Sandy Springs gets its water from a water system owned and operated by Atlanta. City Attorney Dan Lee said in June 2024 that Atlanta has operated the water system in Sandy Springs without a formal agreement since the city’s incorporation in 2005. State law requires an intergovernmental agreement for a city to deliver services outside of its city limits. The previous agreement has expired.
In February 2024, Lee said Sandy Springs shouldn’t pay a water surcharge because it’s cheaper to deliver water from the Johns Creek Treatment Facility than Atlanta’s Hemphill water plant. He said a surcharge is meant to cover added expenses.
Related stories:
• Mayor says Atlanta water dispute in court
• Sandy Springs wants to avoid water crisis with Atlanta-operated system
• Water rate dispute persists between Sandy Springs and Atlanta
Former Mayor Eva Galambos said in her State of the City address in 2007, after the city’s first year, that Sandy Springs residents paid 21 percent more for water than Atlanta residents, a theme that continued throughout her time in office.
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