Milwaukee residents have raised concerns about an increase in their municipal service bills, commonly referred to as a water bill, from the City of Milwaukee. While the water rates remained the same, there were increases in several municipal service charges in 2026.
Annette Butler owns a home on Milwaukee’s North Side and saw her bill increase to $780.
She said she recently filed for bankruptcy and thought her bill would be covered under it.
“The city was supposed to send me a new bill and I was expecting it to be zero, but that’s when I got hit with the high bill.”
Butler, who said there are only two people living in the home, wondered if there was a water leak in her home that caused the spike. She had her home inspected for leaks but none were found.
Bill includes more than water
Tiffany Shepherd, marketing and communications officer for the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, said residents often mistake their bill for including only water, but it also has other costs.
The bill combines charges from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and Milwaukee Water Works.
“It’s really called a municipal services bill, so water is on there, but there’s other fees, too,” she said.
Municipal service charges include sewer treatment service and usage, solid waste, stormwater management, street lights, extra garbage cart, snow and ice.
Breaking down water prices
Most residents are billed quarterly for water service, water usage and a fire protection fee.
The water service charge is a fixed price that’s based on a resident’s water meter size. Most residents have ⅝- or ¾- inch water meter size, which is about $30, according to the City of Milwaukee.
Water meters that are larger than the average size will cost between $56 to $2,546 quarterly.
If you are a commercial or industrial customer, your monthly water service and fire protection fee may average between $10 and $848.
According to the City of Milwaukee, the residential rate for water usage is .0034 cents per gallon.
Water usage prices are subject to change depending on how much water is used.
If your water usage goes above the average, there may be a leak.
Challenges with paying the bill
Andrea Rodriguez is a South Side homeowner paying nearly $430 for her municipal service bill.
Previous years she only used 3,000 gallons of water, but this year it increased to 16,457 gallons of water.
“I’m assuming the huge amount of water is because we had a leak,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez, who bought her home three years ago through a grant, said it’s been expensive to maintain because of unexpected problems, including the water leak.
“It has been quite the money pit since,” she said.
Rodriguez serves on the Community Development Alliance and said more support for residents is needed so that they understand all of the costs that go into being a homeowner.
Fixing leaks in the home
According to the City of Milwaukee Water Works, residents should check toilets, faucets, water heaters, showerheads, washing machines, dishwashers and pipe joints for leaks, drips or moisture.
Shepherd said older houses typically have older fixtures that result in high flow rates.
“Newer fixtures are usually more efficient on water,” she said.
If you are experiencing any leaks, it’s recommended that you call a plumber.
Increased costs
This year the City of Milwaukee increased the rates for all municipal charges. The smallest increase was a 4-cent street light charge and the largest was $2.61 for solid waste.
Rodriguez said the city could make better improvements with things like street lights if residents are expected to pay more for it.
“This past year I’ve seen a better response time using the City of Milwaukee app and logged in with clear details, but we’ve still had some dark stretches of streets that need proactive work, especially in the winter,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said she typically notices poorly lit areas within the North and South Sides of Milwaukee.
“They need to be consistent with lighting so we can have a better chance of staying safe,” she said. “Or they should prorate or eliminate the fee for those left in the dark.”
Butler said she wasn’t even aware of the additional charges.
“I don’t think that is fair and that we should have to pay for that,” Butler said. “That’s a lot of money.”
For more information
Click here for more information on water rates and charges.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
