Clarksville, TN Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

Under Sec. 13-314(a), a customer whose piping leaked water that never reached the sewer system can apply to the Department of Gas and Water for a sewer-bill adjustment. The department calculates the credit by comparing the leak-period usage against the customer's average monthly usage over the preceding twelve months; if there's no twelve-month history, it defaults to 2,000 gallons for a one-person household or 1,800 gallons per resident for two or more residents. Only two adjustments are allowed per twelve-month period, and each adjustment can cover a maximum of two consecutive billing cycles.

Before any adjustment or installment plan is approved, the customer must provide documentation proving the leak has actually been repaired; the general manager or a written designee reviews that proof. A customer facing a large leak bill can also request an installment plan through the general manager, but no water-leakage installment plan may run longer than six calendar months. The same section draws a sharp line for gas: under Sec. 13-314(g), there is no adjustment at all for natural gas leaks, except that the general manager may waive the gas charge when the service is off and locked but the shutoff valve still doesn't hold.

Customers should also note the separate late-payment rules in Sec. 13-313: unpaid balances draw a ten percent penalty and can trigger account deactivation, so getting the leak documented and the adjustment approved before the due date matters.