Frequently Asked Questions

No mistake, but here’s the reason: Your home is serviced by two City systems - the water system and the sewer system. Since the sewer system is actually more expensive to maintain than the water system, the sewer portion of the City utility bill will always be higher.

The City offers an automatic payment plan for anyone interested in saving time and money. You can set that up through the City’s online billing portal. Call City Hall for more information at 360-384-4269.

Adjustments are possible for utility customers. If you suspect a leak, please contact utility billing as soon as possible to apply for a bill adjustment. If the leak is fixed within 10 days of said letter, and if there have been no other leaks during the past twelve months, an adjustment will be made based on the average of the previous year or three preceding billing periods, whichever is greater. All amounts in excess of the average shall be charged at half the current rate for water and sewer per 100 cubic feet of water expended. The overage charges cannot exceed $250 for water and $250 for sewer.

One cubic foot equals 7.48 gallons, so for every 100 cubic feet of consumption, you will have used 748 gallons of water. To give you an idea of how this translates: If you were to run your water hose at high pressure for 70 minutes, you would have used about 100 cubic feet (748 gallons) of water.

Water usage varies from family to family, so comparing your bill with a neighbor's is like comparing apples and oranges. Usage will depend on shower frequency, laundry loads per week, whether you have small children or teenagers, and many other factors. On average, a family of four will use 1600 to 2000 cubic feet of water in a two-month billing period.

Please call the Utility Billing Department at 360-384-4269 or send us an email.