A running toilet or hidden leak is pushing up the bill
A leak you cannot see still runs through the meter. A toilet flapper that never quite seals, a dripping outdoor spigot, a slow break in the service line under the yard: each one adds gallons every hour, and both public water systems in Pickens County bill those gallons at the same tiered rates as water you meant to use. This calculator puts a dollar figure on that, using only the rates the City of Jasper and the Pickens County Water & Sewer Authority publish.
Enter roughly how many gallons a day the leak wastes and how much water you normally use in a month, then choose your water system. The calculator multiplies the daily leak by 30 days, adds it to your normal use, and reports the difference in usage charges. For City of Jasper accounts on city sewer it adds the sewer charge, because the city's residential sewer rates follow the same tiers and gallon bands as water. For county accounts it calculates water only, because the county rate sheet publishes no sewer rates.
It is a utility-charge estimate, not a quote for a repair. No government source publishes plumber prices for Pickens County, so none appear here.
What a leak adds to one month of water charges
Usage charges only, from the tables on this page. Fixed monthly minimums are left out because a leak does not change them. Utility charges, not a plumber's price.
How the published tiers work
Inside the city limits, the City of Jasper charges $2.55 per 1,000 gallons for the first 2,000 gallons in a month, then $3.40 up to 5,000 gallons, $4.23 up to 10,000 gallons and $5.10 for every 1,000 gallons over 10,000. Outside the city limits the same bands cost $3.83, $5.09, $6.35 and $7.65. Residential sewer uses identical numbers. The schedule also sets fixed residential minimums for a 3/4-inch meter of $35.65 for water and $15.00 for sewer inside the city, and $48.65 and $20.00 outside.
The calculator leaves those minimums out because a leak does not change them, and it applies the tiers to every gallon as the schedule lists them. The schedule itself does not say whether any gallons are included in the minimum, so if your bill shows a different structure, ask City Hall at 706-692-9100.
The county system works differently. Its $36.00 minimum for a 3/4-inch meter covers up to 1,000 gallons. Above that, water costs $5.38 per 1,000 gallons up to 3,000 gallons, $6.45 up to 5,000 and $7.53 above 5,000 gallons; the sheet lists a fourth tier, $9.68 above 10,000 gallons, only for 2-inch to 6-inch meters. The calculator treats the first 1,000 gallons as covered by the minimum.
| Monthly usage | Inside city limits | Outside city limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-2,000 gallons | $2.55 | $3.83 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
| 2,001-5,000 gallons | $3.40 | $5.09 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
| 5,001-10,000 gallons | $4.23 | $6.35 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
| Over 10,000 gallons | $5.10 | $7.65 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
Sewer charges on a City of Jasper account
For a home on City of Jasper sewer, the leak is billed a second time on the sewer line. The rate schedule lists residential sewer tiers that match the water tiers exactly, both inside and outside the limits, and it does not publish a monthly cap on residential sewer gallons. That is why a leak in a city-sewered home costs roughly twice what the water charge alone suggests. If the leak is outside, such as a broken irrigation line, the water still runs through the same meter; the rate schedule does not describe a separate irrigation meter credit for residential customers.
Homes on septic tanks have no sewer charge, so choose that option in the calculator.
| Item | Inside city limits | Outside city limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sewer, 0-2,000 gallons | $2.55 | $3.83 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
| Sewer, 2,001-5,000 gallons | $3.40 | $5.09 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
| Sewer, 5,001-10,000 gallons | $4.23 | $6.35 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
| Sewer, over 10,000 gallons | $5.10 | $7.65 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
| Residential water minimum, 3/4-inch meter | $35.65 | $48.65 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
| Residential sewer minimum, 3/4-inch meter | $15.00 | $20.00 | City of Jasper rate schedule |
Water still moving? Close your own shutoff valve first, then send a Free Quote Request.
Free Quote RequestPickens County Water & Sewer Authority rates
County customers should use the county option. The authority's rate sheet, effective January 1, 2024, lists the tiers below for its meters and minimums that rise with meter size, from $36.00 for a 3/4-inch meter. Because the 3/4-inch tiers climb to $7.53 per 1,000 gallons, a large leak on a county account can cost more per gallon than the same leak on a city account inside the limits.
The rate sheet adds that the water authority is not responsible for water loss on the customer's side of the meter. Its Policy #8 allows a one-time adjustment per meter location every two years for leaks over 40,000 gallons and/or a balance of $300 or more, which is explained in the Pickens County leak adjustment guide.
| Item | Charge | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4-inch meter minimum, up to 1,000 gallons | $36.00 | Pickens County Water Rate Sheet |
| Above 1,000 up to 3,000 gallons | $5.38 per 1,000 gallons | Pickens County Water Rate Sheet |
| Above 3,000 up to 5,000 gallons | $6.45 per 1,000 gallons | Pickens County Water Rate Sheet |
| 3/4-inch and 1-inch meters: above 5,000 gallons | $7.53 per 1,000 gallons | Pickens County Water Rate Sheet |
| 2-inch to 6-inch meters: above 5,000 up to 10,000 gallons / above 10,000 gallons | $7.53 / $9.68 per 1,000 gallons | Pickens County Water Rate Sheet |
Limits of the estimate
The calculator applies the published per-1,000-gallon tiers to the extra water you enter. It does not add monthly minimum charges, deposits, late fees or taxes, and it cannot know how a particular billing cycle lines up with the days your leak ran. Meter readings, not estimates, are what the utility bills. Treat the result as a way to judge how urgent a repair is, not as a quote for your next bill. If the real bill comes in far above the estimate, read the meter again with every fixture off, and check the high water bill guide before you call the utility.
Turning the estimate into a plan
If the calculator shows a meaningful number, find and stop the leak first. The usual suspects are toilets, outdoor spigots, irrigation lines, water heater relief valves and the service line between the meter and the house. The City of Jasper's dye test for toilets and the county's household water facts are collected in the Jasper toilet leak and dye test guide, and a step-by-step bill review is in why a Jasper water bill spikes.
Once you know where the water is going, the Free Quote Request on this page sends your details to an independent plumber who serves Pickens County. Keep a record of when the leak started and when it was fixed; the county's adjustment policy asks the account holder to show that the higher consumption came from a leak or a line break.
Where these facts come from: City of Jasper: Water and Sewer Rate Schedule, effective August 1, 2024 (PDF); Pickens County Water & Sewer Authority: Water Rates & Meter Fees, effective January 1, 2024 (Water Rate Sheet, PDF); Pickens County Water and Sewer Authority: Policy #8, Leak Adjustments (amended February 20, 2023, PDF); City of Jasper: Water and Sanitation Service Rates (payments, fees, after-hours numbers). Checked 2026-10-26.
Describe the problem once. Independent plumbers who work in Pickens County can follow up.
Free Quote RequestQuestions Pickens County homeowners ask
Why does the calculator double the charge for City of Jasper sewer customers?
The City of Jasper's residential sewer rates use the same gallon bands and the same per-1,000-gallon prices as its water rates, so each leaked gallon is charged on both lines.
Why is there no sewer charge for Pickens County accounts?
The Pickens County Water & Sewer Authority rate sheet publishes water rates and fees only, so the calculator does not estimate a county sewer charge.
Does the calculator include the monthly minimum?
No. A leak does not change the fixed minimum, so only the per-1,000-gallon usage charges are compared.