Utility hub

Manage your utility account through our online portal. Make a one-time payment, schedule a future payment, view bills, review payment history and more. You will need your Utility account number. You will also need your credit card, debit card or bank account information. There’s no additional fee for using this online service.

Keeping your information secure

Your data is secured using industry-standard methods to protect it from any unauthorized access. All payment transactions are encrypted at each step. The City does not retain credit card or checking account numbers for payments made through the Internet nor the Automated Voice Response telephone system. Please close the browser page when you have completed making an online payment.

Pay by phone

Use the Automated Voice Service at 360-487-7999. Available 24 hours/7 days per week, except for brief, routine system maintenance. During regular office hours, please push “0” at any time to reach a customer service representative.

Pay in person

For your convenience, there are two locations for paying your bill in-person.

• Utility Customer Services Office, 2323 General Anderson Rd. In-person service is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday; and closed daily from noon to 1 p.m. Closed holidays. Full customer service, including billing and account assistance.
• Vancouver City Hall, 415 W. Sixth St. Available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Except holidays. Payments only.

Pay using a drop box

There are two drop box locations. Please enclose bill payment stub with your check and leave sufficient time for payment to be received.

• 2323 General Anderson Rd., the drop box is located directly in front of building next to gate.
• 415 W. Sixth St., the drop box is in City Hall lobby and south side, behind City Hall.

Pay by mail

Enclose your bill payment stub with a check and mail to: City of Vancouver Utility Services, PO Box 35195, Seattle, WA 98124-5195. Please allow five business days for delivery.

Payment methods accepted

• Check
• Cash
• Debit card
• ACH Debit (Checking Account)
• Credit Card (American Express, Discover, Visa or Mastercard)

AutoPay

With AutoPay, customers can conveniently pay water, wastewater/sewer and stormwater/drainage utility bills automatically using a checking, savings or credit card account. Consider signing up for AutoPay. Your utility bill will be paid automatically on your bill due date using your designated credit card or bank account. You will continue to receive a regular utility bill showing usage and amount owed, so that you can always review your bill before it’s paid.

Cancel AutoPay

• Log in to your online profile and click “Manage AutoPay”
• At the bottom of the screen, click “Cancel AutoPay”
• Any payments already in the drafting process at the time of notice may not be terminated.

Change card or checking account information

• Log in to your online profile and select “Manage AutoPay” or “My Wallet” to update your information.

Start or stop utility service or submit a request to update your information by using one of the links below. Allow three business days in advance to stop or start service. To get started you will need to gather and provide:

• Your name
• Address where the service should be started or stopped
• Date you would like service to start or stop
• Mailing address if different than the service address
• Your utility account number or, if starting a new service, your previous address

If you are not the property owner, please confirm with the landlord or owner if they want you to pay the City of Vancouver before starting service. 

Utility rates help pay for the costs of running services. The rate fees also help fund future repair and replacement.

Residential customers

Water Service: Water meters are typically read bi-monthly. For most residential customers, you’ll receive a bill every other month. Water bills are based on your water usage, measured in cubic feet, and billed using a tiered rate structure.

Wastewater/Sewer Service: Sewer charges for a single-family or multi-family residential customer is based on that customer’s water usage during the previous winter months from January through March. There is a minimum sewer base rate of 3 CCF per month, or 6 CCF over two months, since residential billing is every other month. (1 CCF = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons).

Stormwater/Drainage: All properties contribute drainage runoff. Charges are applied based on the cost of providing drainage service within the City. Property owners pay charges to support healthy stormwater systems.

A tiered water rate billing system encourages conservation by rewarding customers who use less water. Single-family residential customers are charged a lower rate in the lower tiers using this tiered model. Use the calculator to estimate how much your water bill will be based on your water usage.

Help to others program – H20

Help to Others, or H2O, is a Utility program designed to help qualifying low-income residents in crisis situations pay for water and/or sewer. Funding is provided through contributions of concerned residents and businesses. If you would like to make a one-time or recurring donation, fill out this donation information.

Need help?

If you are a Utility customer facing financial hardships and need assistance with your utility bill, please call 360-487-7999 or email UtilitiesCS@cityofvancouver.us for help in making a payment plan or to see if you might qualify for the H2O program.

Eligibility guidelines:

• Total household annual income must meet the eligibility standards for the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
• The customer’s household must not be receiving subsidized housing assistance.
• The person applying for H2O assistance must reside in the home (service address) and be listed on the utility account.

Please contact Clark Public Utilities at 360-992-3000 to set up an appointment for assistance. When you bring your application in, you will also be asked to provide documents for verification, including:

• Photo identification
• Phone number
• Proof of residency
• Household income

Once eligibility has been approved by Clark Public Utilities, your request for H2O assistance will be emailed to our utility office.

Assistance limits:

• The maximum allowable grant for a qualifying customer is $400.00.
• A qualifying household may receive an H2O grant not more than once every 24 months.

Want to help?

Every dollar donated goes directly to helping people in our community, and your donation is tax deductible under IRS regulations. Please consider helping us provide these essential water and sewer services for those in need. Make a one-time donation or a recurring donation. Call 360-487-7999 or fill out the H2O line on your Utility bill when making a payment.

Low-income senior waiver for sewer minimum rate

We offer a waiver to the minimum sewer flow base rate for seniors who meet low-income and age requirement. To qualify for the low-income senior waiver, you will need to fill out the form and bring it to Vancouver’s Utilities Services, 2323 General Anderson Road. Do not include it in your utility bill.

When you bring in your waiver application, be sure to have the following items:

• A valid driver’s license or other photo ID verifying your age (first-time applicants only)
• A copy of your most recent Social Security statement and IRS tax return
• Two full months of bank statements

An approved low-income senior waiver is effective for 12 months. It is the sole responsibility of customers with waivers to re-apply for successive 12-month periods of eligibility. Customers currently receiving the waiver will be sent a renewal application by mail each year in April. Those who don’t re-apply will be charged the minimum sewer flow rate or greater, depending on their winter water consumption.

If a qualifying low-income senior customer’s winter usage exceeds the minimum volume charge of 3 CCF per month, no reduction applies. The waiver is for qualifying applicants with volumes below the minimum only. Call Utility Services at 360-487-7999 to request an application be sent to you by mail.

Help us reduce the impact on the environment and sign up for eBilling. Your utility statements will be delivered quickly and securely to your inbox.

Starting January 1, 2025, customers with duplicate bills will be charged a $2 fee. This might be for those who request one bill sent to a tenant and another to a landlord or property manager. To lessen environmental impacts, we are trying to reduce the number of bills printed and mailed. Avoid the duplicate billing charge with eBilling or opt out of receiving a duplicate bill.  

Water

Customers pay a monthly base charge and a volume charge based on the amount of water used over two months. All volume charges are computed per hundred cubic feet or CCF.  Most single-family homes use under 20 CCF of water every two months. (1 CCF = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons.)

Wastewater/sewer

Sewer service charges are based on the customer’s winter water usage from January to March. There is a minimum base rate of 3 CCF per month, or 6 CCF over the two-month billing period. (1 CCF = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons.)

Sewer-only customers: If you get your water from a well or another provider (Clark Public Utilities), find out if you qualify for a lower sewer rate. Fill out an annual water usage history.

Stormwater/drainage

Property owners pay a monthly charge to support healthy stormwater systems. For single-family homes inside city limits, this stormwater drainage charge appears on your regular bi-monthly utility bill.

Concerned you may have a leak and not sure where to begin? Get helpful tips on identifying a leak and how to check your water meter.

We understand leaks happen. If you’ve repaired a leak on your property, you may qualify for a billing adjustment on your utility account. Learn more through this repair submission process.

How do water, sewer and stormwater bills for the typical single-family residence within the City of Vancouver stack up against other areas around the region? Compare below.

This chart assumes a single-family residential usage of 8 ccf per month. Rates and tax data updated as of Jan. 2024. Your bill may vary, depending upon your usage, location and other factors. Please see Vancouver Municipal Code (VMC) 14.04 for rate details.

Footnotes:

a – Utility tax embedded in rates (applied to gross revenues of utility)
b – Utility tax added to bill
c – City of Spokane Valley – assume Vera Water customer
d – City of Ridgefield sewer utility tax includes operating fees
e – City of Everett sewer rate includes storm drainage rate, with separate surface water rate only charged to non-sewered customers
f – City of Tacoma – 8% Tacoma Gross Earnings Tax embedded in W/S/D rates, along with additional for water – 5.029% State Pub. Utility Tax, for Surface Water – 1.5% B&O, for wastewater – 1.898% B&O and 3.852% State Sewer Collection Tax
g – No utility tax
h – City of Gresham includes fire flow charge in water rate
i – Annual rate change occurs July 1st
j – City of Federal Way water and sewer utility tax includes a 3.8% franchise fee from Lakehaven Water and Sewer District respectively
k – City of Eugene includes watershed recovery fee in water rate, annual water rate change Feb. 1st, sewer and storm rates change July 1st
l – No updated information for 2024

Apply for a hydrant meter permit to use water temporarily from a public fire hydrant. Without a permit, you may not use water from a hydrant, and this could result in a fine.

Commercial, industrial and government customers can have diverse requirements and usage patterns for utilities. For specific account questions, call 360-487-7999 or email UtilitiesCS@cityofvancouver.us.

Water: Water meters are typically read bi-monthly. For most commercial customers, you’ll receive a bill every other month. Some commercial accounts are billed monthly.

Wastewater/sewer: Commercial, industrial and government customers pay a monthly minimum user charge. Usage over the minimum is charged per hundred cubic feet (CCF).

Stormwater/drainage: Accounts for multi-family residential, commercial and industrial properties are based on impervious surfaces. They are billed monthly or bi-monthly depending on the billing cycle. Learn more about stormwater fees and how they help protect local waterways.

Washington state laws allow cities to add utility tax on revenues generated by the city’s own utility services, both inside and outside of city limits. Like many cities and towns, Vancouver does this.

A typical single-family customer within the City of Vancouver with a water usage of 8 ccf per month will pay $106.42 per month for water, wastewater/sewer and stormwater/drainage utility services. The monthly charge without the utility tax would be $75.66. (1 ccf = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons.)

Utility tax

This is a tax on the gross receipts of the Utility that is approved by City Council and shared with customers. Since 2020, the total city tax on gross water, wastewater and stormwater utilities is 28.9%. This is included in monthly utilities charges, not itemized on your bill. Before 2016, the utility tax was 20% and went to the City’s general fund to pay for fire, police, streets and other core services. As of 2016, the tax was increased by 1.5% for maintaining and improving our street system. In 2017, a 3.4% tax increase went into effect to support Vancouver Police. In 2019, a utility tax increase of 2.4% was applied to support Vancouver Police staffing needs.