Welcome to the Grand Rapids Water System’s Customer Account Information page. Arrow through these pages to find a range of tools and resources to help you conveniently access your water/sewer account, view account details, review and manage usage, make payments, and much more!
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact 311 Customer Service at (616) 456-3000 or within city limits, dial 3-1-1.
Most residential customers are billed four times a year, once every three months. Commercial customers are either billed monthly or quarterly, based on their water usage. All water/sewer bills are due 21 days after they are issued.
Residential customers have two payment options:
- Pay the total amount due and wait for the next quarterly bill.
- Choose the monthly payment option to split the total quarterly amount into three equal monthly payments. Any previous balance will be included in the first monthly payment.
If you make your first monthly payment by the due date, you’ll receive a monthly reminder indicating the due date and the amount for the next two installments. Missing a due date triggers the entire balance to be due immediately, incurring a 10% late fee. If you miss a monthly payment due date, you won't receive reminders until the next quarter when the entire balance is due.
How to Read Your Bill(PDF, 957KB)
Managing your water account is simple and convenient, ensuring you have control over your usage and payments.
GR PayIt
GR PayIt is a convenient platform that allows you to manage and pay your water/sewer account and various other City services. After you’ve received your first bill, you can:
- Review Billing Information: Access and review your billing statements, past invoices, and the breakdown of charges. Understand your bills to budget and plan your payments accordingly.
- Opt in for Paperless Billing: receive your eAlerts when new bills are generated, and payments are due.
- Choose Your Payment Option: Decide on your preferred payment option—whether you want to pay the total amount due quarterly or opt for the monthly payment plan (residential accounts only).
- Set Up Automatic Payments (Optional): If desired, set up automatic payments to ensure your bills are paid on time without manual intervention. This offers peace of mind and avoids late fees.
To get started:
- Create your login ID and password
- Add your utility accounts (if you have more than one property or account, you can manage them all with a single login.)
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Accounts can be added two different ways
- With your new utility account number (digits only, ex. WS20XXX79 enter 20XXX79)
- With the account holder name and the location house number
eServices
After you receive your first bill, sign up at eServices. This tool allows users 24/7 access to prior bills and the ability to export bill data to Excel for easy bookkeeping.
To get started:
- Create your login ID and password
- Add your utility accounts (if you have more than one property or account, you can manage them all with a single login.)
Your water/sewer bill is due 21 days after the bill date. If the due date is missed, a 10% late fee is assessed to the account.
Past due accounts
Any account that is past due is considered eligible for shutoff until paid in full. This does not mean that all past due accounts will be shutoff. Until the account is current, the account has the potential to be shutoff.
Courtesy Late Fee Removal
As a courtesy, we allow customers to request a late-fee removal once every 24 months. To qualify, your account must not have a past due balance, and you must request the removal within four months of receiving the late fee. This courtesy removal applies only to the 10% late fee.
To request late-fee removal, please call 311 or (616) 456-3000.
Water Payment Assistance
If you need help paying your water utility bill, there is help available.
Water Payment Assistance
Pay Online
Michigan Lien Law
Delinquent Water/Sewer bills stay with the property and are eligible to be added to the property tax once they are six months past due.
Add-to-Tax Information
The property owner’s responsibility begins at the property line after the curb stop (the small valve that serves the property), and continues through the yard to the home, and throughout the home. The City of Grand Rapids is responsible for the service line from the water main to the curb stop, the couplings on either side of the meter within the home, and the meter itself. For new construction projects, the curb box remains the contractor's responsibility until the meter is initially set.
The City of Grand Rapids Water System Rules and Regulations 7.13 Existing Water Service states: Once water service is installed to a property it is considered the Water System’s responsibility to maintain or replace equipment located in the public right-of-way including the water main and curb stop. Maintenance and/or replacement of the water service from the curb stop to the meter setting shall be the responsibility of the owner. For more details, please review the Water System Rules and Regulations(PDF, 5MB).
Unlike a gas meter, water meters are typically found in the basement and are linked to an external remote reading device through a wire. Your water meter might resemble one of the images provided below. If you require more information about the meter's location, please contact Customer Service at either 311 or 616-456-3000
Leaks are the most common reason for big spikes in your water cost. The earlier you find and repair the leak, the more money you'll save. You'll also help conserve clean, high-quality water. Think you have a leak? Check out the link below for tips on how to identify common leaks.
Water Leak Detection
Request a Water Leak Credit
If you are selling or have sold your home, please call 311 or (616) 456-3000 to provide a forwarding address and optional meter image for your final bill. You can also complete the End Water Service form. Also, consider terminating any automatic payments you may have set up online or through your bank.
Do you need water off for repairs? If so, please call 311 or (616) 456-3000 to schedule.
If your home will be vacant for more than 30 days and you would like the water off, you have a few options:
- Turn water off at the valves: If your property will be vacant during the winter months, the heat needs to be set to at least 55 degrees, or the location should be properly winterized. The City will not be liable for any water damage to the property due to a faulty valve, or damage from frozen pipes or a frozen meter if the heat goes out or if the property is not properly winterized. Maintenance of internal plumbing is the sole responsibility of the homeowner. Please be aware that you will still be charged the readiness to serve cost while the water is off.
- Turn the water off at the street: If your property will be vacant during the winter months, your heat needs to be set to at least 55 degrees or should be properly winterized. We also suggest that water be off at the inlet valve found just before the meter to ensure that no water will go through your meter or pipes. Service workers will not have access to the meter to ensure that the water was turned completely off. You can also schedule a water-off appointment and a service worker can verify the water off actions were successful. Please be aware that you will still be charged readiness to serve charges while the water is off. There will also be a reconnect fee to turn the water back on when you return (see Rules and Regulation: Fees, Charge, and Penalties(PDF, 5MB)).
Do not rely on cutoff for collections actions to ensure water is completely off at your location; this activity is not considered a service and is not guaranteed by the Water System.
- Turn the water off at the street and remove meter: An appointment needs to be scheduled for a date and time when someone will be at the location or our service worker can be granted access to the meter via lockbox, open door, etc. This will stop consumption and readiness to serve charges. There will be a meter set fee when services are restored (see Rules and Regulation: Fees, Charge, and Penalties(PDF, 5MB)).