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Pay Your Utility Bill
NOTICE TO ALL UTILITY CUSTOMERS:
As of January 1, 2023, increased rates for water, wastewater, and stormwater utility services go into effect and will be reflected in your utility bill. Missoula City Council adopted these new rates on December 13, 2021, under Resolution 8573. See the Utility Rate Schedule to view the updated rates.
Please call our Utility Billing Specialists at 406-552-6700 if you have any questions.
Combined Utility Billing
The City of Missoula's utilities began sending customers one combined utility bill as of February 1, 2021. The bill includes water, stormwater, and wastewater utility services charges. Customers are billed only for the service(s) they receive.
Utility rates and ordinances are required to be adopted by City Council. To be notified of items being presented to City Council, please subscribe to Notify Me.
Have questions about your bill? Please call our Utility Billing customer service representatives at (406) 552-6700.
Pay Your Utility Bill
Online
You can pay online through the Utilities Account & Payment Portal. Please follow the directions to access your bill. You will need a copy of your bill or your account and customer numbers. Visa/MasterCard are accepted and your payment will be processed through a third party vendor. A $2.95 transaction fee will be charged when paying online.
Customers can request paperless billing once they establish an online account.
Direct Debit
If you would like to sign up (PDF) for direct debit or reactivate (PDF) direct debit, please complete the corresponding form and return it to our office by emailing it to watercs@ci.missoula.mt.us or mailing it to Utility Billing, P.O. Box 5388, Missoula, MT 59806-5388.
A $30 fee will be charged for non-sufficient funds checks or direct debit withdrawals. Also, please ensure all bank account information is entered correctly to avoid the fee.
Bill Pay Through Your Bank
If you use a bill pay service through your personal bank, you can continue to pay your utility bill this way.
Phone
If you would like to pay by phone please call 866-790-7218. A $2.95 transaction fee will be charged when paying by phone.
If you would like to pay by mail, please include your stub and payment and mail to:
City of Missoula
Utility Billing
P.O. Box 5388
Missoula, MT 59806-5388
Office
A drop box is available at the front of the Missoula Water building at 1345 W. Broadway. Please include your check and payment stub when using the drop box. Utility Billing is not accepting any walk-in customers right now due to COVID-19.
Office Closures
The office is closed on federally observed holidays and weekends.
Account Deposits
Deposits are required on all tenant accounts at the time of sign up.
- $100 for Metered Water
- $150 for Flat Rate Water
- $150 for Flat Rate Water with Irrigation
- $200 if customer had previous service with City of Missoula and was not timely with payments
Utility Bill Collection Process
Frequently asked questions about the recent changes to our utility bill collection process.
Non-Sufficient Funds Fee
A $30 fee will be charged for non-sufficient funds checks or direct debit withdrawals. Also, please ensure all bank account information is entered correctly to avoid the fee.
Utility Assistance Programs
Assistance programs are available to our water and wastewater customers who may need help paying their utility bills.
Services Provided
Rates are based on monthly metered water consumption or a flat rate. Flat rate irrigation accounts are billed June-October. Metered irrigation accounts are based on monthly consumption during seasonal usage.
Metered irrigation accounts are requested to contact us at the beginning and ending of seasonal irrigating.
Rates are monthly and based on the water meter size. Every account pays this fee to help Missoula Water staff service and maintain all public fire hydrants; which need to be in good working order in the event of an emergency.
Missoula Water services and maintains 1,811 fire hydrants. Every fire hydrant is inspected twice and flow tested once a year.
Rates are based on a fixed monthly Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) code. The ITE code may be based on square footage, land use designation, number of units, etc.
Why do I have to pay a stormwater charge? Your home may be benefit from storm water infrastructure that is located several blocks away because slope, elevation, and hydrology patterns play a large part in how stormwater is directed. Also, maintenance on storm drains along frequently traveled roads (Reserve, Broadway, Orange, Mullan, Russell, etc.) reduces water pollution and potential flooding that benefits the entire City of Missoula.
I don't own a car, why am I being charged a "trip charge"? Whether someone walks, bikes, rides the bus or drives in Missoula, everyone has a storm water footprint. Vehicles of all types (bicycles, skateboards, motorcycles, buses, cars and trucks) impact storm water – all transportation uses leave residual material on sidewalks, trails and streets, which impact stormwater. Additionally, those impervious (hard) surfaces – sidewalks, trails, and streets – also impact stormwater as they concentrate large volumes of stormwater. The trip charge also includes vehicle use on your behalf (i.e. deliveries and services that travel to and from your home).
Rates are based on monthly metered water consumption or a flat rate.
- Metered Service: Customers are billed according to a fixed rate based on meter size in addition to your water usage for the month. Many of our customers prefer metered usage as their conservation efforts are reflected by a savings on their bill.
- Flat Rate Service: Customers are billed a flat fee based on the number of rooms, baths, and toilets in the home not on actual consumption. There is also a separate flat rate sprinkling charge based on the square footage of the yard.
If you are interested in changing from a flat rate to a metered rate, please contact our Customer Service Team. Existing flat rate accounts may transition to metered service. Once the property is metered, it can not transition back to a flat rate.