NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Metro Council is trying to stop a $1 million Metro Water Department leak.

Video: Metro Water Dept. Leak May Be Costly To Residents

The answer to that question could be 12 new ways to bill residents.

The Council is supposed to find $12 million to patch the financial leak in seven days.

“There was a water rate decrease in 1999, and I think over the years since then, they’ve been living on borrowed time,” said Metro Councilman Jim Shulman.

Mayor Bill Purcell has decided the best answer for the loss is 12 new or higher fees on customers’ water bills.

The big one is to end all multimeter discounts.

Big water users with more than one account, like Vanderbilt University, get discount water.

Vanderbilt gets almost $1 million per year off its bill.

Raising money by raising late fees and raising reconnect fees is also a possibility, according to Shulman.

“I have a big concern about folks with lower incomes that get their water turned off for not paying their bills. Well, then you deal with a late payment charge, but then you also deal with a reconnect fee, and, so, if you start raising that, I mean, the reason they had the water turned off in the first place was because they may not have had the money to pay the bill. Now we’re upping that charge to get them to turn the water back on, and obviously you can’t live without water,” Shulman said.

What's unclear is how Metro Water got this deep into debt.

“You know at some point, and I think this is going to have to be with the next mayor and the next council, (you) have to take another thorough look at the water department and figure out, how do you make it work, 12 fee increases or what?” Shulman said.

While the discount rate raises $2 million, the late payment is the real cash cow.

An expected $4.5 million in extra money would flow if the rates are raised.

Purcell’s new budget goes into effect July 1.