The City of Summerville has launched a new Water Bill Protection Plan designed to help residents avoid unexpected spikes in their water bills caused by major leaks.

City Manager Jason Winters said the city has occasionally received complaints about unusually high water bills caused by leaks that went undetected for several days. The new program is intended to provide a safety net for customers in those situations while still encouraging residents to monitor their water usage.

Officials say the protection plan is designed to help cover situations where a major leak runs for several days before being discovered, which can cause water usage to increase dramatically. City leaders note that similar programs are offered in many other cities and say the plan is meant to provide peace of mind for residents while helping protect them from extremely high utility bills.