Harnett County, NC Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

24, HRW has authority to adjust one water and/or sewer monthly bill per 12 months after determining the bill is excessive, but only on specific conditions. If the excessive bill is caused by a defective water meter, HRW reduces the bill to the average of the preceding three months. Separately, when a customer furnishes proof of repair to substantiate a leak, the water bill is reduced by 50% of the amount by which it exceeds the average of the customer's bill for the preceding three months, with that average then added back in to reach the final adjusted amount.

Sewer accounts tied to a documented leak are handled differently: the sewer bill is simply reduced to the preceding three-month average rather than the 50% formula used for water. If the excessive usage is of undetermined origin and HRW's investigation finds the occupant was not at fault, the same calculation used for a documented leak applies. 24(D) draws a hard line against relief for negligence: all metered water lost due to the user's own negligence is billed at the normal rate, with no adjustment allowed.

24(A) and return of the test deposit. The leak-adjustment process is effectively a repair-and-document system: customers must first fix the leak and then present HRW with proof of that repair before any credit is calculated, rather than reporting a leak in advance for pre-approval.