Municipal Department
City of Chicago Department of Water Management / Department of Finance Utility Billing and Customer Service
Serving City of Chicago, Cook County
Population served
2,721,308 people (EPA SDWIS PWS ID IL0316000; active community water system record)
State system code
FIPS 17
Billing frequency
Monthly for metered accounts enrolled in the Utility Billing Relief Program; the current City FAQ states that nonmetered accounts continue monthly billing and that metered accounts not already billed monthly begin receiving a monthly bill after UBR enrollment. Individual account frequency should be confirmed from the customer statement.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
City of Chicago Department of Water Management / Department of Finance Utility Billing and Customer Service operates as a municipal department serving City of Chicago, Cook County. 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 water charges based on the City’s annual water rate schedule and billed usage, with separate sewer charges and a water-sewer tax. The current public portal links customers to Water Rates but does not expose the full 2026 rate table in the rendered page. UBR-qualified customers receive 50% of the standard water, sewer, and water-sewer-tax rates for the 12-month enrollment period.. Bills are generated monthly for metered accounts enrolled in the utility billing relief program; the current city faq states that nonmetered accounts continue monthly billing and that metered accounts not already billed monthly begin receiving a monthly bill after ubr enrollment. individual account frequency should be confirmed from the customer statement., and a typical residential cost reference is A dedicated this detail was not publicly posted. A current official Chicago 2026 typical single-family bill for 5,000–7,000 gallons was not published on the public pages reviewed. The final amount depends on metered versus nonmetered status, water use, sewer and water-sewer tax, garbage charges, and any UBR or senior exemption.. 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
Chicago’s UBR materials describe separate water and sewer charges plus a water-sewer tax and reduce each of those three components by 50% for qualified participants. The current public utility pages reviewed do not publish a winter-average formula, a fixed sewer percentage of water use, or a current 2026 residential sewer calculation; the account statement and City billing department control the exact calculation.
Meter and infrastructure notes
The EPA record identifies Chicago as a surface-water community system, but the current City utility pages reviewed do not provide a complete 2026 meter-technology inventory or a universal read calendar. Chicago has both metered and nonmetered accounts; individual reading frequency and whether a premise participates in a meter program should be confirmed from the customer account or bill.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
311 or 312-744-5000 through the City’s CHI311 service for non-emergency municipal water-management requests; the current public pages reviewed do not identify a separate water-main emergency hotline. For billing and account questions, call 312-744-4426.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for City of Chicago, Cook County
City of Chicago Department of Water Management / Department of Finance Utility Billing and Customer Service 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.