Breaking Down Your Utility Bill

The Cedar Rapids Utilities Department works continuously to provide the best quality drinking water, as well as other services, to our residents. Your Cedar Rapids Utility Bill, mailed every two months, covers a variety of services, including drinking water, sanitary and storm sewer, wastewater treatment, loose-leaf vacuum collection, and garbage/recycling/compost collection and disposal. Find out more at CityofCR.com/Utilities.

Utilities Facts

On average, residents use nearly 7,500 gallons of water per month.

Cedar Rapids offers spring and fall loose-leaf vacuum collection — something many communities do not offer!

The rate for water may vary each year and is set by City Council.

Gas and electric services are not provided through the City; they are provided through separate entities.

The Cedar Rapids - Linn County Solid Waste Agency, who manages and operates two local landfills, is not part of the City of Cedar Rapids government entity. The Agency serves 17 communities in Linn County, including Cedar Rapids. Visit their website for more information: SolidWasteAgency.org.

Utility Bill Breakdown

Days in Bill Period: This is the number of days between when your water meter was last read and the current meter read date. The number of days in each billing period can vary due to holidays and scheduling, but an average bill period is 61 days.

Daily Service Charge: The service charge generates revenue to cover fixed costs such as maintenance, equipment and infrastructure, billing and collections, customer service, payment processing, meter reading, meter maintenance, sewer cleaning, sewer repair, and more.

Units: Water consumption is measured in units of 100 cubic feet, known as a CCF. One CCF is equal to 748 gallons of water.

Sewer (Sanitary Sewer): The sanitary sewer charge is based on water usage, and for accounts without water service, sewer is a flat rate. Two CCFs per month are included in the daily service charge.

Solid Waste/Recycling/Compost: This charge entitles the household to one container of garbage and one container of yard waste/ compost per week. The recycling charge entitles the household to unlimited recyclables. Other services from this division include bulky item pickup, various pickups of hard-to-dispose materials, and biannual loose-leaf pickup.

Example of the usage breakdown on a utility bill

How to Start Services

Call our Customer Service team at 319-286-5900 to set up a Cedar Rapids Utility Billing Account. Our representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and can discuss any possible requirements needed to start service. For more information, visit CityofCR.com/Utilities.

How to Pay Your Bill

We provide several options for paying your utility bill. You can pay online, by phone, or through our City’s app, Mobile CR. We also offer AutoPay signup on our website, pay stations at certain designated Hy-Vee store locations, Walmart money service counters, and the outdoor drop boxes at City Hall or the Water Administration Building. You can also still pay by mail with a check or money order, or you can use an eCheck through your personal bank.

Questions about your bill? Visit CityofCR.com/Utilities or call our Customer Service team at 319-286-5900.

Reducing Your Payment

The Cedar Rapids Utilities Department offers a reduced-rate program for residents who are either disabled or are 62 years of age or older, and for those who meet household income eligibility requirements. Please call our Customer Service team at 319-286-5900 for guidelines.

All residents can reduce charges on their water bill by lowering water usage at home. Here are a few tips for keeping your water bill as low as possible:

Check your toilets for leaks. A leaky toilet can waste hundreds of gallons of water a day! Remove the holding water tank lid and add leak detection tablets or several drops of food coloring. Wait 10 minutes; if colored water appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leak. Visit your local hardware store or call a plumber to assist with leaky toilets.

Fix leaky faucets or showerheads. These small drips can result in hundreds of gallons of wasted water each year! Most of these leaks are due to worn washers, which can be easily replaced.

Shorten your showers and turn off the tap.

Don’t water your lawn. Lawns are resilient — even if they look brown!

Run only full loads in the dishwasher, which uses the same amount of water for a normal cycle whether the dishwasher is full or empty.