Water Shut Off Without Warning, Late Fees, And Not Turning The Water Back On

Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
(sorry if I use the wrong flair, first time asker )

How is any of this legal?
Yesterday morning our water got shut off. This happens now and then, unfortunately, in our older Atlanta neighborhood due to occasional construction or bad weather (same with the power lines at times) so it was not that surprising. We were both working from home, So we did nothing til the afternoon when it became more burdensome and past the usual window when it would get turned back on. After asking our neighbors, we learned it wasn’t the area and just us so we called the water company to ask about the outage, there were none reported.

So, we then learned our service had been shut off specifically and they’d even come out to put a lock on the water. we checked past balances and saw they hadn’t billed us even though we have auto-pay turned on and it’s worked as intended since we first turned it on. Our monthly statements from the water company even say

NO ACTION NEEDED - YOU ARE ENROLLED IN AUTOPAY

but we weren’t actually being billed, apparently since MARCH and now we have a past balance (~$500) including late fees. At this points it’s later afternoon, 5pm hits so we go buy water jugs and call it a day.

Called again this morning to remedy, and even though I think the issue came from their end, and the late fees are unwarranted, we just want our water back on, so we pay them to get water back.

The rep tells us it’s likely the card expired; it has not and will not for another year or so. She then says we can unlink it and re-add the card to fix; sure, but doesn’t help that it happened.

Once we’ve paid, she then goes on to say that they will not do same-day service, and since it is a Friday that means we will be without water until at least Monday. She then also said it’s our fault for not checking the balances more closely. Sure, agreed, in a perfect world I’m checking each one. But with no notices , phone calls, letters, ANYTHING, since March, plus monthly statements that do say NO ACTION NEEDED …

THAT is what brought me here, cuz how is any of this NOT illegal ?

I think they messed up and are putting it on us. Whatever, I’ll pay the late fees. But turning off water without a proper notice. Late fees when not actually given a prompt to pay initially. And not turning someone’s water back on before a weekend… how is this an acceptable system to anyone

I’m still trying to call and get someone to come out but needed to share this and see what others think.

And yes yes I KNOW , it is my responsibility, I should (and now will) check that my autopay bills are actually being pulled every month