Why is the City Adding this Tax?

• The Chicago City Council and Mayor Emanuel approved a four-year phase-in of a water and sewer utility tax.  The revenue from this tax will be used to make certain mandated pension payments.
• These mandated pension payments will support the retirements of many municipal employees, including our snow plow drivers, our librarians, and CPS non-teaching staff, such as classroom aides.

When will the tax appear on my water-sewer bill? Will the water-sewer tax impact my billing cycle?

• The water-sewer tax will appear on utility bills beginning in March 2017 with tax charges starting to accrue that same month.
• Utility accounts will be billed at the same frequency and on the same schedule as their current unified utility billing cycle.

I’m a metered account. What will I be charged?

• Properties with a water meter are billed based on the amount of water used in the billing period. For current water rates, please see Water and Sewer Rates.
• Sewer charges are 100 percent of water charges.
• The water-sewer tax is charged based on consumption.
• The tax will be phased-in over four years, starting in March 2017 through 2020 and stay at the same tax rate in 2021.
• Beginning in March 2017, the water-sewer tax will be assessed at a rate of $.295 per 1,000 gallons of water and $.295 per 1,000 gallons of sewer or a total of $.59 per 1,000 gallons of water-sewer use.

I’m a non-metered account. What will I be charged?

• Per the Municipal Code of Chicago, water usage is assessed based on factors including building size, lot size and other fixtures -- such as sinks, toilets, etc. The water charge is calculated by assuming usage based on these factors.
• Sewer charges are 100 percent of water charges.
• Non-metered properties are charged the water-sewer tax based on the same method used to calculate water and sewer charges.
• The tax will be phased-in over four years, starting in March 2017 through 2020, and stay the same tax rate in 2021.
• Beginning in March 2017, the water-sewer tax will be assessed at a rate of $.295 per 1,000 gallons of water $.295 per 1,000 gallons of sewer or a total of $.59 per 1,000 gallons of water-sewer use.

Rate per 1,000 gallons (approximately)

I’m a metered account and part of the MeterSave program. What will happen to my bill if I go above my Metersave cap? Will the tax be charged on the total water and sewer use or just what I am billed for?

• For MeterSave residences, the water-sewer tax will only be assessed on the amount of water-sewer for which you are billed, not your total usage.

I’m a non-metered account. How do I sign up for a meter?

• Chicago’s MeterSave program installs residential water meters free of charge to promote water conservation and save customers as much as 40 percent on their water and sewer costs.
• Homeowners participating in MeterSave are eligible for seven-year guarantee that their home water bill will be no higher than it would have been if the meter had not been installed.
• To learn more about the program, call 3-1-1 or visit www.metersave.org.

I’m a senior. Will I receive any reduction in the tax?

• Seniors who receive the senior citizen sewer exemption (senior who live in their own home and are individually metered) will continue to receive the exemption.
• This exemption reduces eligible senior's total water and sewer bill by 50 percent by removing sewer charges.
• With this exemption, senior will also see a 50 percent reduction in the tax on water-sewer usage as the tax will only be charged to the water portion of a seniors bill.

What happens if I do not pay the water-sewer tax?

• A penalty accrues at a rate of 1.25 percent per month on late balances, including tax charges.
• A property owner may have their water shut off for failure to pay their unified utility bill after multiple notifications.
• There are multiple payment plan options for residents to pay their utility bills. To learn more about the payment plan options, visit: Utility Bill Payment Plans