Municipal Department
City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) - Water Services
Serving City of Palo Alto municipal water, wastewater and full utility service area
Population served
67,231 people (EPA SDWA queue estimate for CA4310009)
State system code
FIPS 06
Billing frequency
Monthly. CPAU typically reads utility meters monthly and bills water, wastewater and other utility consumption for that period.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) - Water Services operates as a municipal department serving City of Palo Alto municipal water, wastewater and full utility service area. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Metered monthly water service with rate-plan and volume-based charges; current FY2027 rate changes were proposed to begin July 1, 2026. The reviewed rate page does not reproduce the complete applicable July 2026 residential water table.. Bills are generated monthly. cpau typically reads utility meters monthly and bills water, wastewater and other utility consumption for that period., and a typical residential cost reference is A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. Palo Alto's current rate page describes annual July rate changes but the reviewed public source did not expose the complete 2026 residential water/sewer table needed for a verified 5,000-7,000 gallon total.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
CPAU bills wastewater as a separate utility service. The reviewed current pages do not state a universal 2026 residential sewer winter-average formula or flat percentage; the applicable rate plan and volume basis appear on the City's current rate schedule.
Meter and infrastructure notes
CPAU typically reads utility meters monthly. Single-family customers with AMI receive continuous-use email alerts beginning in October 2024; customers without AMI receive billed-usage alerts, and the reviewed pages provide a Customer Reads Own Meter option.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
Utilities Emergency Dispatch: (650) 329-2579. Customer Service is (650) 329-2161 during the published call-center hours.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for City of Palo Alto municipal water, wastewater and full utility service area
City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) - Water Services is listed here as a municipal department. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.