City of Missoula Water Bills to Become Utility Bills

Starting February 1, your Missoula Water bill will have a new look and some extra charges.

Interim Public Works Director Dennis Bowman provides details on the additions Missoula Water customers will see.

“Basically, we’ve been looking at with the other two utilities, the storm water and wastewater,” began Bowman. “Water sends out a bill every month and storm water sends out a bill a couple of times a year and we’re trying to be more efficient. Why pay for postage and all the extra printing for storm water and for water, so to be more efficient, we’re just going to send out one bill.”

Bowman said the first waste water bill won’t be arriving until later in the summer.

“We’re targeting July 1^st for the waste water to be on this new bill,” he said. “We’ll make it as friendly as possible to read and to understand. We’re not changing the water rates or raising the water bill. All we did was add another box. There’s a sample on the city’s website that shows the new bill. We’re just trying to make it easier to read with more information for the customer.”

Bowman provided a refresher on the storm water issue.

“We’re required by the EPA to have a storm water plan,” he said. “Anything that goes on the road, off your property, we’re required to maintain the sumps and make sure they’re all clean, sample all the out falls to make sure there’s no hazardous material going into the Clark Fork River. We’re required to do reporting, inspection and maintenance associated with that.”

Bowman said the water bill is basically becoming an overall utility bill.

“It’ll be pretty much the same as a normal water bill,” he said. “The only thing you’ll see come this summer is that there’ll be a third box for the wastewater charge. This summer the sprinkling charges will be added to the regular water bill.”

See the sample water bill by clicking here.