Last reviewed and updated: 2026-10-09
Cobb County Water System offers a partial leak credit once in a rolling 12-month period, covering no more than two affected months. To qualify you must submit your account address and number, a brief explanation of the leak type, and a plumbing repair receipt, a receipt for parts, or at minimum a letter explaining what was done to correct the problem. Pool leaks also require the pool volume. Applications go through the county's Customer Self-Service Portal, and you must keep paying the bill while the claim is processed. Dripping faucets during freezing weather do not qualify.
Need an Official Leak Detection Report for Cobb County?
Cobb County Water System requires verified diagnostic proof and repair documentation to approve your credit. We provide itemized, written reports accepted by the county.
The Cobb County water leak adjustment policy at a glance
Cobb County Water System's leak adjustment policy is a partial offset, not a refund, and it is limited in how often and how far back it can be applied. These are the terms that decide almost every application.
Policy terms
- The usage threshold: the county applies the credit where consumption exceeds 150% of the same month in the previous year. If your bill has not crossed that line, it will not qualify however real the leak was.
- Frequency: once per rolling 12-month period.
- Months covered: no more than two affected months.
- Type of relief: a partial credit, not a full refund. Cobb describes it as "a partial offset of the costs associated with certain plumbing failures, not to fully compensate a customer for the costs of a leak."
- Proof required: a plumbing repair receipt, a parts receipt, or a letter explaining what was done.
- Pool leaks: pool volume must also be supplied.
- While you wait: you remain responsible for paying the bill.
- Excluded: faucets left dripping during freezing weather, roughly 50 gallons, which the county does not treat as a leak.
The single most missed step: the paperwork. If your bill has jumped and you have not yet found the cause, start with the high water bill triage. Homeowners repair the leak, throw away the invoice or never ask for one, and then cannot support the application. Ask for written documentation describing the leak and the repair before the job is closed out.
Does your leak qualify?
| Situation | Typically eligible? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buried service line break | Yes | Classic qualifying plumbing failure; document the repair |
| Slab leak under the foundation | Yes | Keep the detection report and the repair invoice |
| Failed toilet flapper or fill valve | Usually | A parts receipt can serve as proof |
| Irrigation lateral or stuck valve | Usually | Document which zone and what was replaced |
| Pool leak | Yes, with extra detail | Pool volume is required in addition to repair proof |
| Water heater failure | Usually | Replacement invoice supports the claim |
| Faucet left dripping in freezing weather | No | Explicitly excluded: approximately 50 gallons, not treated as a leak |
| Unrepaired leak | No | The county wants evidence the problem was corrected |
| Second leak in the same 12 months | No | One adjustment per rolling 12-month period |
Making the Cobb County water leak application, step by step
- Confirm Cobb County Water System bills you. Homes inside the Marietta city limits are billed by Marietta Power & Water instead, which runs its own separate process.
- Get the leak located and repaired. The credit depends on evidence the problem was corrected, so book leak detection in Marietta, GA and ask for a written report.
- Collect your documentation. A plumbing repair receipt, or a receipt for parts, or at minimum a letter explaining what was done to fix the problem.
- Gather your account details. Service address and account number, both on your bill.
- Write a brief explanation of the leak. Type of leak, where it was, roughly when it started, when it was repaired. Short and factual.
- Add pool volume if it was a pool leak. Required for pool-related claims.
- Submit through the Customer Self-Service Portal. The portal is at ccw-css.cobbcounty.org. First-time users have to create an account before they can apply, so allow a few extra minutes. Cobb County Water System also publishes a walkthrough video showing the adjustment request screen by screen.
- Keep paying the bill. You remain responsible for the balance while the claim is processed.
Document checklist
Rather talk it through first?
No forms and no waiting for a callback. Speak to a technician, describe what you are seeing, and get a straight answer about what it takes to find it.
Have these ready before you start the application
- Service address exactly as it appears on the bill
- Cobb County Water System account number
- A short written explanation of the leak type and location
- Plumbing repair invoice, or a parts receipt, or a letter describing the repair
- Leak detection report, if one was produced
- Photographs of the leak, the damage and the completed repair
- The affected billing statements
- Pool volume in gallons, for pool leaks only
If you no longer have an invoice
The policy allows "at a minimum a letter explaining what was done to correct the problem." That letter should state plainly what the leak was, where it was located, how it was found, what was repaired or replaced, and the date the work was completed. If you had the leak professionally located, ask whoever did the work to put that on their letterhead.
Where the Cobb County water leak application actually goes
There is no paper form to post. The application is made online through the county's Customer Self-Service Portal, and everything else is handled by Customer Services.
| What you need | Where |
|---|---|
| Apply for the adjustment | Customer Self-Service Portal, ccw-css.cobbcounty.org (create an account on first use) |
| Questions about an application | Cobb County Water System Customer Services, 770-419-6200, Monday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm |
| A main break or an emergency | Emergency response and dispatch, 770-419-6201 |
| In person | 660 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, GA 30060 |
| The policy itself | cobbcounty.gov leak adjustment page |
These details are published by Cobb County Water System and were checked against its website on the review date above. Confirm them before relying on anything here.
The free water monitor most Cobb customers do not know about
Cobb County Water System lends residential customers a Flume smart water monitor free of charge for 90 days. It clamps to the meter and reports water use in real time to a phone, and it separates indoor use from outdoor use, which is precisely the split that makes an irrigation leak obvious.
To borrow one you must be a residential CCWS customer, have Wi-Fi at the property and a compatible smartphone, and collect the device in person. It has to be returned within the loan period, and the county charges $300 if it is not.
Why it is worth the trip. A monitor that shows a small continuous flow at 3am proves a leak exists and rules out a usage explanation before you spend anything. It will not tell you where the leak is, which is what detection equipment is for, but it settles the first question for free.
Water leak adjustment letter: an example you can copy
If you have no invoice, or the plumber will not put anything in writing, the county accepts a letter. There is no official form for it. What matters is that it answers the same questions an invoice would: what failed, where, how it was found, what was done about it, and when.
Adapt the example below. Keep it short and factual, put it on letterhead if the work was done by a company, and have whoever carried out the repair sign and date it.
Sample leak adjustment letter
[Date]
Cobb County Water System
Customer Services
Re: Leak adjustment request for account [account number]
Service address: [service address exactly as printed on the bill]
To whom it may concern,
I am requesting a leak adjustment on the above account for the billing periods [month] and [month], which were higher than normal because of a water leak on the property.
The leak was a [for example: failed copper supply line under the slab / break in the buried water service line between the meter and the house / failed irrigation lateral on zone 3]. It was located on [date] at [where on the property it was found], using [for example: a water meter test followed by acoustic leak detection].
The repair was carried out on [date] by [name of plumber or company, and license number if you have it]. The work involved [for example: excavating and replacing a two-foot section of the service line / cutting and repairing the failed section of copper under the slab]. Water use has returned to normal since the repair, as the following meter readings show: [reading and date before the repair], [reading and date after the repair].
[For a pool leak, add: the pool holds approximately [number] gallons.]
I have attached [list what you are sending: the repair invoice or parts receipt, the leak detection report, photographs of the leak and completed repair, the affected billing statements].
Please let me know if you need anything further to process this request.
Yours faithfully,
[Your name]
[Phone number]
[Email address]
Three things that get letters rejected. No date for the repair, no statement of what was actually wrong, and no supporting document at all. A parts receipt from a hardware shop counts as a supporting document, so include it even for a repair you did yourself.
Always verify current terms. This page summarizes Cobb County Water System's published leak adjustment policy for general guidance. Policies change. Confirm the current terms and the application process directly with Cobb County Water System before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
What is a water leak adjustment?
It is a partial credit a water utility applies to a bill that was inflated by a plumbing leak, once the leak has been repaired and documented. It is not a refund of the whole overage. Cobb County Water System describes its own as a partial offset of the costs associated with certain plumbing failures, rather than full compensation for the cost of a leak.
Can a water leak drastically increase your water bill?
Yes, by hundreds of dollars or more. One Cobb County household reported 89,000 gallons producing a bill of roughly $1,400. That volume does not come from a dripping tap: it comes from a continuous leak running unnoticed for weeks, typically a service line, an irrigation lateral, a slab leak or a toilet that never stops filling.
Who is responsible for water leaks outside the house?
The meter is the dividing line. The utility maintains the main and the meter. Everything on the house side of it is the property owner's responsibility, which includes the buried water service line, the irrigation tee, the hose bibs and all interior plumbing. That is why a buried leak outside still appears on your bill and is still yours to repair.
Does my bill have to be a certain amount higher to qualify?
Cobb County applies the credit where consumption exceeds 150% of the same month in the previous year. A bill that rose, but not past that threshold, will not qualify however genuine the leak was. Comparing the same month across two years is the quickest way to see where you stand.
How do I apply for a Cobb County water leak adjustment online?
Through the Customer Self-Service Portal at ccw-css.cobbcounty.org. First-time users create an account before applying. You will need the service address and account number as printed on the bill, a short description of the leak, and proof of repair. Customer Services is on 770-419-6200 if the application gets stuck.
Does Cobb County give credit for a water leak?
Yes. Cobb County Water System offers a partial credit for eligible leaks once in a rolling 12-month period, applied to no more than two affected months. It is described as a partial offset of the cost of certain plumbing failures rather than full compensation for a leak.
How many times can I get a Cobb County leak adjustment?
Once in a rolling 12-month period, and the credit applies to no more than two affected months. A second leak inside that same window does not qualify for another adjustment.
What documents do I need for a Cobb County leak adjustment?
Your account address and number, a brief explanation of the leak type, and a plumbing repair receipt, a receipt for parts, or at minimum a letter explaining what was done to correct the problem. Pool leaks also require the pool volume.
How do I submit the application?
Through Cobb County Water System's Customer Self-Service Portal. The Water System also publishes a walkthrough video on its YouTube channel showing the submission process.
Do I still have to pay the bill while waiting?
Yes. Cobb County states that customers are responsible for paying the water bill while a leak credit is processed. Any approved credit is applied afterwards.
What leaks do not qualify?
Faucets left dripping during freezing weather are explicitly excluded, the county notes such drips produce roughly 50 gallons and are not considered a leak. Unrepaired leaks and second leaks within the same 12-month window also do not qualify.
Does the credit cover the cost of the repair?
No. The credit is applied to the inflated water bill, not to the plumbing work. Cobb is explicit that the program is a partial offset rather than full compensation.
What if I do not have a plumber's invoice?
The policy accepts a receipt for parts, or at minimum a letter explaining what was done to correct the problem. The letter should state what the leak was, where it was, how it was found, what was repaired, and the date the work was completed.
I live inside the Marietta city limits. Does this apply to me?
No. City customers are billed by Marietta Power & Water, which operates its own separate leak credit process. Check the utility name on your bill to confirm which applies.
Does a pool leak qualify for a Cobb County leak adjustment?
Yes, with an extra requirement: pool leak claims must include the pool volume in addition to the usual account details, explanation and proof of repair.