Leak relief and household assistance

A high water bill may have a path to review

Hidden plumbing failures can produce an alarming bill before the problem is visible. This guide separates what Colorado Springs Utilities – Water and Wastewater Customer Service publicly describes from the practical steps every customer can take while requesting help.

Provider-specific review

What the public record says about a leak adjustment

Colorado Springs Utilities has a formal Water Leak Adjustment Program. The customer must identify the bill dates and repair date, describe the leak source and corrective work, state whether the property was vacant, identify occupants for residential service, and disclose whether an adjustment was made for the address during the prior three years. The request form and repair documentation must be received within 60 days of the bill’s due date. An itemized plumber invoice, itemized repair-parts receipt, or other repair proof is requested; for residential customers and nonresidential customers averaging under 50,000 cubic feet per month, the utility may accept the customer’s signed affirmation when repair documentation is unavailable, while larger nonresidential customers must provide documentation. The program is limited to two adjustments per premise in any 36-month period and may cover no more than two billing periods. Send the form to Customer Billing–Water Leak Adjustment Program, P.O. Box 1103, Mail Code 1025, Colorado Springs, CO 80947-1025, or use the published fax/email route; call (719) 448-4800 for the exact adjustment calculation under the tariff.

Stop the loss

Shut off the failing fixture or supply and arrange a qualified repair.

Keep proof

Save dated invoices, parts receipts, photographs, and meter readings.

Request review

Submit the request promptly and keep paying any undisputed amount.

Utility assistance

Customer assistance and eligibility

Colorado Springs Utilities offers payment plans, payment extensions, selected payment dates, and long-term payment arrangements rather than one universal water-only credit cap. Project COPE provides utility-payment assistance one time per year to families and individuals experiencing an emergency situation regardless of income. The utility also directs customers to Pikes Peak United Way 2-1-1, a Home Efficiency Assistance Program that can provide qualifying homeowners free energy and water-efficiency upgrades, Colorado weatherization services, and City assistance for eligible water/sewer-line and leak repairs. Project COPE’s amount is determined through the local partner application and account circumstances; the utility’s public page does not state a fixed maximum award.

State and federal connections

Where to ask for broader aid

Colorado Springs Utilities links customers to Colorado’s federally funded Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), with applications generally available November 1 through April 30 for winter heating costs, and to Project COPE at https://projectcopecs.org for one-time emergency utility-payment assistance. Pikes Peak United Way 2-1-1 provides bilingual local referrals. HEAP through the Energy Resource Center, the Colorado Energy Office Weatherization Assistance Program, and City low-income home-repair assistance can address water efficiency or line/leak repairs. These programs are not all direct water-bill credits; applicants should ask CSU at (719) 448-4800 which active program can be applied to a water/wastewater balance and what documentation is required.

Research status for this provider

4 of 4 relief signals publicly identified

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Emergency route

Published detail

Leak policy

Published detail

Utility aid

Published detail

State/federal aid

Published detail

Leak and assistance notes

Build the file before asking Colorado Springs Utilities – Water and Wastewater Customer Service for relief

A high bill can have several causes, including a hidden plumbing failure, irrigation use, a meter issue, a change in occupancy, or a rate adjustment. The provider’s leak policy determines whether any credit is available; an unusually high bill does not automatically qualify.

Keep a dated record of the reading, the suspected source, the repair, the contractor or parts receipt, and the return to normal use. Ask whether the utility requires a specific form, a licensed repair, a meter test, photos, or a request within a fixed number of days.

For income-related difficulty, ask about local assistance, payment arrangements, state programs, and community referrals separately from a leak adjustment. These programs often use different applications, documents, funding limits, and deadlines.

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