What if I have questions about my bill?
Please refer to the Billing FAQ section for questions about your bill or payment options.
What are Customer Service's office hours?
Customer Service is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Friday.
What numbers can I call?
- Customer Service: call 972.919.2525 during regular office hours.
- To report water leaks, sewer back-ups or other water emergencies: call 972.919.2600.
- Emergencies after hours: call the Police Department at 972.484.3620. On-call personnel will be notified.
- Garbage collection schedule: call 972.919.2597.
What do I need to do to start new service?
Customers may either request service using our online system, call our office or come into the office to start new services. A deposit of $50 for a residential account is required to establish a new account. Commercial deposits are $100 per meter. These charges can be usually billed on your first utility bill. Call 972.919.2525 for apartment complex deposits.
Can I turn my meter on or off?
No. A City employee will do this for you at no cost. The water meter is the property of the City and damages to the meter could be charged to you. Call the Public Works Department at 972.919.2600. After hours and holidays, call the Police Department at 972.484.3620 and on-call personnel will be notified and dispatched.
Do I have any other responsibilities as a City water user?
Yes, you are required to keep your water meter clear and accessible for reading and maintenance purposes. This includes those meters located in utility easements. Contact a meter meader at 972.919.2599 if you need information on where to find your meter.
Do I need to notify the City when I move out?
Yes, in advance. It is necessary that you contact a Customer Service Representative at 972.919.2525 to close your account. This may be done either in person, by phone, or by sending us a letter telling us the date you want your account closed and where to send the final bill. You will be responsible for payment of services through the date of your closing. You can also do this online (login required) through our Utilities Online Account Access. NOTE: THIS FEATURE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF SERVICE.
Is my water meter read each month?
Yes. The meter readers utilize a handheld computer to record all meter readings each month.
What does a meter reading look like?
The City uses several brands of water meters. All have a meter register that looks very much like the odometer in your car. The meter readings are read in tens, hundreds or thousand of gallons. The billing system is programmed to take these meter readings and calculate the correct water usage in thousands of gallons. Contact Public Works at 972.919.2599 for more information.
How are the meters read?
The city is divided into three geographic cycles for meter reading purposes. Your water meter is read about the same time each month, give or take a few days depending on weekends and holidays.
If something is blocking access to the water meter box, repeat visits are made to obtain a meter reading or the customer is contacted prior to billing. Meters are normally read between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The meter readers may occasionally need to work Saturday as well. They identify themselves by wearing a shirt with the City logo on it. The meter readers use hand-held computers to capture meter readings. When the meter reader enters the reading, the computer quickly calculates the amount of water used and compares it with usage for the previous month. If the current water usage exceeds the previous water usage by more than expected, the computer alerts the meter reader who must then re-read the meter and re-enter the meter reading. This is the first audit of the meter reading. Contact Public Works at 972.919.2599 for more information.
Is there fluoride in my water?
Yes.
What are the water rates?
The monthly rates or charges for services furnished by the water works system of the City shall be as follows (Ordinance No. 2990 approved by City Council September 16, 2008 and effective October 1, 2008):
- Monthly rate minimum (first 2,000 gallons of water or less, all meter sizes): $11.69 per unit, plus any applicable oversize meter charges
- 2,001 – 10,000 gallons: minimum rate plus $3.17 per 1,000 gallons
- 10,000 – 20,000 gallons: minimum rate plus $3.57 per 1,000 gallons
- 20,001 gallons and over: minimum rate plus $3.71 per 1,000 gallons
For duplexes, triplexes, quadraplexes, apartment houses or any multi-family dwelling, a minimum of $11.69 will be charged for each unit regardless of whether it is located in a single family residence, duplex, apartment house or combination thereof.
What are the water sewer rates?
The monthly rate or charges for services furnished by the Sanitary Sewer System of the City are below.
a) For private residences occupied by one family, the sewer service charge shall be as follows:
- 0 to 2,000 gallons of water used: $12.22 minimum sewer service charge
- 2,000 to 10,000 gallons of water used: $1.66 per 1,000 gallons sewer service charge
- Over 10,000 gallons of water used: no additional sewer service charge
b) For duplexes, apartment houses or any multi-family dwelling, the sewer charge for each living unit shall be as follows:
- 0 to 2,000 gallons of water used: $12.22 minimum sewer service charge
- Over 2,000 gallons of water used: $1.66 per 1,000 gallons
c) For each business, commercial and industrial establishment, the sewer service charge shall be as follows:
- 0 to 2,000 gallons of water used: $12.22 minimum sewer service charge
- Over 2,000 gallons of water used: $1.66 per 1,000 gallons
What are the water oversized meter rates?
- 5/8- or 3/4-inch meter: no additional charge
- 1-inch meter: $4.68 per meter per month
- 1 1/2-inch meter: $9.37 per meter per month
- 2-inch meter: $22.21 per meter per month
- 3-inch meter: $116.94 per meter per month
- 4-inch meter: $152.04 per meter per month
- 6-inch meter: $233.88 per meter per month
- 8-inch meter: $327.44 per meter per month
Meters connected solely for fire protection systems shall be charged the monthly minimum rate established for 3/4 inch meters, in addition to volume usage charges, regardless of the actual meter size.
What about problems with my sewer service?
In case of a sewage backup, notify Public Works at 972.919.2600 during business hours. After hours and holidays, call 972.484.3620 and on-call personnel will be dispatched. They will check the City main to determine if the problem is the City’s responsibility or the homeowner’s.
What are the City's responsibilities for sewer line problems?
The City is responsible for sewer main lines and service lateral line repairs up to the customer’s property line.
What are the City's responsibilities for water line repairs?
The City is responsible for the main line and meter up to the point of the customer’s service line connection to the meter.
How do I check for a leak?
Turn off all water in and outside of your house. DO NOT TURN OFF THE MASTER VALVE. If water is in the meter box, it does not always mean that you have a leak in your water line. It usually comes from ground moisture due to rain or sprinkler systems. To be sure, you should dip the water out of the box. You may have to do this several times due to ground saturation. If you notice water leaking from the meter or the meter connections (the nuts and bolts that connect the meter to the cut-off valve or your water line), call the City's Public Work Department for repair at 972.919.2600. If you notice a leak on the line that goes to your house, call a plumber. If you are not sure, call us.
If no leak is detected in the meter box, your next step is to look at the water meter register. You may have to wipe the register face off with a wet towel to see the entire meter face. Dirt usually settles on the meter from month to month due to rain, irrigation and other moisture getting into the meter box.
- Record the reading on your meter
- Do not use any water in your home for at least one hour
- Recheck the meter every 20 minutes for one hour. The reading should be identical to the reading taken earlier. If it is higher, you probably have a leak. It is your responsibility to have it repaired.
NOTE: Continuously running toilets can be a silent culprit. Check the overflow pipes in the toilet tanks to be sure water isn’t draining. Place a few drops of food coloring in the tank, don’t flush and check the bowl in about 15 minutes. If any of the coloring appears in the bowl you probably have a tank-to-toilet-bowl leak, which will require repair.
Dripping faucets are easily recognized. You will have a faucet that does not completely turn off, and you may hear an annoying "drip, drip, drip." Leaking toilets are more difficult to detect. Water loss may be caused by leaking parts or an incorrect setting. You may not always hear the problem. If the flapper valve in the toilet tank is not seating well, water will flow from the tank to the bowl and eventually down the drain as the bowl fills to a certain level. This problem can be detected by putting some blue food coloring into the tank. Wait a while and see if the water in the bowl has also begun to turn blue. If so, the flapper valve is the problem. Check more than once. The flapper valve may seat properly some of the time, but not all of the time. This can make this type of water loss difficult to detect. Another way that water loss can occur in a toilet is through the overflow in the tank. The overflow is the open pipe, usually located in the middle of the tank. If the float allows water to rise too high, water will go into the overflow pipe and down the drain. The best way to detect this is to take the top off the tank and see if water is at the top of the overflow pipe. If it is, the float may need to be adjusted.
Landscape irrigation problems can also result in water loss. These problems normally occur when sprinklers are on. There may be a break in the line or a malfunction in one of the sprinkler heads. Check to see if some parts of your lawn remain wet even when the sprinklers have not been on. Remember: These are just suggested places to look for water loss first, and is not intended to be all-inclusive. If you will check these things first, it may save both you and the City time and money.
How do I report a pothole, sidewalks in need of repairs or drainage issues?
Please contact Public Works at 972.919.2597 during business hours.