Water Service & Billing

Fees and Rates for Water and Other Services


Water Service

The Village of Western Springs derives its water from its own wells. Each year, the Water Department serves more than 4,400 customers by pumping water from local wells to the reverse osmosis (RO) treatment plant at 614 Hillgrove. The water is softened and purified before it is pumped into the distribution system for consumer use.

2023-2024 Water Meter Replacement Program

The Village has partnered with Water Resources, Inc. to replace all water meters 7 years or older and all endpoints with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Replacement will begin at the end of July and continue through Spring 2024. For more information, please visit the project page. 

For questions regarding your water service (as opposed to water billing), please contact the Municipal Services Department at 708-246-1800 ext. 200.

Billing Details

General Information:

Village homeowners are billed every other month for water service. Meter readings are taken from a device outside the residence. The bill is determined based on the meter reading, which indicates actual usage. A 10% penalty is applied if payments are not received by the due date, regardless of when the payment was postmarked. The Village does not offer a grace period on water bills and charges that are not paid may be subject to disconnection of service. 

If you have experienced a larger-than-anticipated water bill, please consider several potential causes for the increase. Watering your garden/grass/landscaping, hosting guests in your home, and/or a running toilet may be the cause. To determine if your toilet is running, put a few drops of food coloring in the back of the toilet tank and wait 30 minutes without flushing. If colored water appears in your toilet bowl, the toilet is using unnecessary water and requires repair. 

Moving in?  Water and/or sewer bills remain with the property. Please complete the Moving In/Moving Out form or contact the Finance Department at 708-246-1800 ext. 126 to set up a water and/or service and to ensure that a final water meter read has already been scheduled by the previous owner/renter.

Attention renters: A deposit is required and will be added to your first bill. The deposit will be applied to the final bill with any remaining amount refunded to the customer.

Moving out?  If you are moving, please complete the Moving In/Moving Out form or contact the Finance Department at 708-246-1800 ext. 126 for a final meter reading. The appointment should be made at least 5 business days prior to closing to ensure availability. All water and sewer charges will continue to be your responsibility until you notify the Village and a final read is taken by Village staff. Customers are responsible for payment of the final water bill.

Rates: Effective January 1, 2022, the bimonthly charges (6 times per year) for users of the Village water and sewer system is based on the amount of water consumed as shown by the water meter(s).  Rates are listed below. 

Senior Water/Sewer Discount Rate: The Village offers a senior discounted water/sewer rate of $10 per thousand gallons to residents who are age 65 and older and meet an income level requirement. Please view the Senior Water/Sewer Discount  for instructions and application. The application may be mailed to Village of Western Springs, Finance Department, 740 Hillgrove Avenue, Western Springs, IL 60558, or dropped off at the Village Hall.

 
Residents:
 
 
Per 1,000 gallons
$14.00
 
Minimum charge without regard to gallons consumed
56.00
Eligible senior discount residents:
 
 
Per 1,000 gallons
10.00
 
Minimum senior discount charge without regard to gallons consumed
40.00
Capital maintenance fee (applies to all water account holders)
$10.00 per billing cycle
 

Payment Options:

  • Auto Pay (sign up for Direct Payment  and EFT payments for water bills are electronically withdrawn from your account)
  • Online payment (using Green Pay, a 2% convenience fee applies)
  • In person at Village Hall (8:30 - 5 pm, with cash, checks, Visa/MasterCard/Discover/American Express)
  • Secure drop box outside of Village Hall, 740 Hillgrove Avenue
  • By mail

For more information on water billing, please contact the Finance Department at (708) 246-1800 ext. 126.


Other Fees:

The Village of Western Springs does not have a real estate transfer stamp. 

The Capital Maintenance Fee funds water and sewer projects throughout the Village. Effective January 1, 2022, the Fee will be increased from $7.50 per billing period to $10.00 per billing period, as per Ordinance 21-3059.

Spring Clean Up and Fall Leaf Collection: An additional $5 charge on your water bill - applied six times a year - partially offsets costs for fall leaf collection services provided by the Village and for household spring clean-up day, provided by LRS.

Storm Water: The Village is implementing a separate Stormwater Utility Fee in 2023 as an equitable method of allocating the cost of improvements and maintenance of the stormwater management system.