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Water Service

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The City of Des Plaines purchases Lake Michigan water from the City of Chicago and the Northwest Water Commission (NWC) and distributes it through a network of water mains, storage facilities and pumping stations to about 18,000 customers. The City is committed to making it easy and convenient for you to pay your water bill and access real-time usage data. 

Payment Options

Pay Online
Visit our E-Pay portal to view bill and make payments. First time users will need to create an account/user profile with their account number. 
Automatic Withdrawal
Apply for Automatic Withdrawal from your bank account.
Pay by Mail
Use the return envelope provided with your bill. Please be sure to include a copy of the payment stub in the envelope and mail to City of Des Plaines, P.O. Box 734160, Chicago, IL 60673-4160.

Pay in Person

Pay in person at Des Plaines City Hall, 1420 Miner Street. Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. by cash, check or credit card (picture ID required). Visa, Mastercard Discover and American Express accepted. There is also a 24/7 drop box at City Hall. 

Pay by Phone

Customers can call the Finance Department directly at 847-391-5330 during the normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to make a payment via credit card.

For homes with inside water meters: Residents are strongly encouraged to call in their inside water meter readings on a yearly basis to avoid unusually high bills due to slow or stopped remotes.

Water and Sewer Service Rates

Starting in 2017, the City of Chicago has annually adjusted its water rate on June 1 based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of the previous calendar year. The June 1, 2024 water rate increase from Chicago amounts to 3.37%, resulting in a change from $3.395 to $3.510 per 100 cubic feet. The rate charged by the City of Des Plaines will increase from $5.895 to $6.010 per 100 cubic feet for all consumption as of June 1, 2024.

Residential Customers: The City charges for water, sanitary sewer, capital fees and fixed facility charges. Water meters are read every two months and are billed in two-month increments. The utility bill is generally due by the fifth day of the month, or the first business day after, if the fifth day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a holiday. 

Industrial/Commercial Customers: Meters are read on a monthly basis due to large usage and are billed every month. Billing is calculated in hundreds of cubic feet - 100 cubic feet is equivalent to 748.1 gallons.

  • The water rate is $6.010 per 100 cubic feet (effective June 1, 2024).
  • The sanitary sewer fee is $1.18 per 100 cubic feet of water usage (effective January 1, 2024).
  • The capital fees rate is $2.00 per 100 cubic feet of water usage. Capital fees are charged for the maintenance of the water and sewer system infrastructure (effective January 1, 2024).
  • The fixed facility charge is a set rate which is determined by the flow capacity of the meter(s) being billed:

Varying Rate for Fixed Facility Charges

Size Rate
< 1" Meter  $4.30 per Month
1.5" Meter $18.43 per Month
2" Meter $24.57 per Month
3" Meter $61.43 per Month
4" Meter $122.86 per Month
6" Meter $245.71 per Month
≥ 8" Meter
 $331.71 per Month

Operation and Maintenance Rates

Effective Dates Rate Per 100 Cubic Feet of Water
Jan. 1, 2024-Dec. 31, 2024 $2.50
Jan. 1, 2025 $2.75

Capital Improvement Fees

Effective Dates Rate Per 100 Cubic Feet of Water
Jan. 1, 2024-Dec. 31, 2024 $2.00
Jan. 1, 2025-Dec. 31, 2025 $3.00
Jan. 1, 2026-Dec. 31, 2026 $4.00
Jan. 1, 2027-Dec. 31, 2027 $5.00

In recent years, declining usage and aging infrastructure have resulted in more water main breaks, a growing backlog of improvement projects and increased maintenance cost for our water and sewer systems. To help address this problem the City Council adopted new water rates and fees in September 2023. These rates and fees are reflected in the charts on this page. 

Track Your Water Usage and Sign Up for Alerts 

Visit the customer portal to sign up and customize your dashboard to monitor your water usage and get real-time alerts. This can quickly identify a leak or problem to minimize water usage costs. Here are some more benefits that come with the portal:

  • Customizable user alerts can be sent via the portal, text and/or email.
  • Monitor multiple meters from the portal: vacation homes, rental properties and irrigation meters.
  • Rainfall and temperature data allows customers to see how their usage might be affected by weather conditions.

Check out this flyer to learn more about the water usage portal (also available in Español and Polski).

Questions? Please contact our Support Team at 847-391-5322.