Investing Today For Tomorrow’s Water Security
The Village of Westmont provides water supply services to nearly 7,000 customers. These services are essential to our community’s health and safety, so that families are able to cook and clean, our vibrant business sector continues to thrive, and that we continue to flourish together.
To keep pace with the rising cost of water distribution and fund ongoing investment in our water system’s vital infrastructure, the Village is changing two critical components of your bill:
The Rates Structure - how we charge for water - will change for residential customers to remain affordable and encourage water efficiency
Water Rates - what we charge for water - will adjust annually to fund critical investment and help keep pace with inflation
Starting with the February 28, 2025 issued utility bill, typical residential customers can expect to pay approximately $2.50 more each month*.
Learn more below.
*Note: Residential customers are billed every two months vs monthly for commercial customers.
Our Priorities
Conducting regular rate studies is an industry best practice that utilities across the nation follow to ensure their water rates align with values of their community and support ongoing reliable water service. While conducting our most recent rate study, the Village kept the following goals in mind:
Prioritize Affordability: Ensure customers only pay what’s necessary, and no more. We’re committed to maintaining affordable service for our customers.
Achieve Financial Sustainability: Remain financially stable, so that the Village can continue to provide reliable service for generations to come and have financial resources in place to quickly respond to emergencies.
Ensure Fairness: Establish rates that are fair in that they reflect the cost of service for customers and the demand they place on the utility system.
Encourage Conservation: Water is a precious resource. Our rates have been structured to use this resource wisely.
Investing In Your Water System
Your water rates pay for more than just the water that ends up at your tap—they’re an investment in the complex system that will continue to provide our community with reliable water for generations to come. To ensure the Village can continue to provide you with the high level of service that we currently do, we’re investing in critical infrastructure, including:
Water Pipe Replacements: The Village expects to perform watermain replacement projects annually to ensure water continues to make its way safely and reliably from our system to your tap. Due to the age, size and complexity of our system, these projects will require millions of dollars of investment per year.
Water Tower Updates: Our water towers are critical to ensure water is available every minute of every day. The Village is building a new North Water Tower, replacing our existing Central Water Tower, and rehabilitating the South Water Tower.
Other Significant Projects: In addition to the projects listed above, the Village will conduct a meter replacement program, lead service line replacement program as mandated by USEPA, and water plant improvements. Each of these programs contribute to you having access to reliable, safe water 24/7.
Changing How We Charge For Water
The Village of Westmont is adjusting our water service rates based on a comprehensive rate study conducted by independent consultants. This study took a deep dive into our future costs for providing water services, using detailed technical analyses, projections of revenues and expenses, and a careful look at our current and future financial health. The study recommended we adjust both how we charge for water and what we charge to ensure a fair, sustainable rate structure.
How Your Bill is Calculated: Fixed and Volumetric Charges
Your water bill is made up of two main components:
Fixed Charge: This part of your bill is based on your water meter size and helps fund the infrastructure needed to provide 24/7 access to safe, reliable water. This charge remains consistent each billing period within a given year, covering essential system maintenance and upgrades that benefit all customers, regardless of usage.
Volumetric Charge: This charge is based on the amount of water you use and follows an inclining block rate structure. Under this model, the cost per gallon increases as usage rises, which encourages conservation and ensures that high water users contribute more to support the system’s additional capacity needs.
Inclining Block Rate Structure for Residential Customers (Residential Only)
As part of the new rate structure, the Village is implementing an inclining block rate for residential customers—a common approach used by utilities across the country.
The first 16,000 gallons used per bill (bi-monthly) falls within the lowest tier, covering essential indoor water needs. This tier is designed to be affordable for all, including our most economically vulnerable customers.
When usage exceeds 16,000 gallons per bill, a higher rate applies to additional gallons. This approach provides an incentive to conserve water, helping customers manage their bills while supporting the long-term sustainability of our water resources.
The new rates are anticipated to start with the February 28, 2025 issued utility bills with planned annual adjustments of our rates to align them with both changing economic conditions as well as investment needs of our water system.
Enter your information below to calculate your bill
Enter your account number from your most recent bill to auto-populate your meter size, or select your water meter size from the dropdown below.
| YOUR BI-MONTHLY BILL | CURRENT | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2025 CHANGE | ||||||
| Service Charge - meter | ||||||||||||
| Volume Charge | ||||||||||||
| Tier 1: ≤ 8000 Gallons | ||||||||||||
| Tier 2: 8000+ Gallons | ||||||||||||
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| TOTAL BI-MONTHLY BILL | ||||||||||||
This calculator is provided for informational purposes only. For questions, please contact (630) 981-6220 or billing@westmont.il.gov. Future rate adjustments are proposed rates to go into effect at the start of each calendar year.
How Rates
Stack Up
The Village’s water rates are comparable to nearby providers, as shown in the chart to the right.
Changes for Commercial Customers
The Village of Westmont is updating water rates for commercial customers to ensure our system remains sustainable and reliable for businesses of all sizes. These changes reflect the cost of delivering water to commercial properties, which often have higher and more consistent demands than residential customers.
What’s Changing?
Fixed Charge by Meter Size: Commercial customers will see a fixed charge based on their water meter size. This ensures that larger commercial operations, which require greater capacity, contribute proportionally to maintaining and improving our water system.
Volumetric Charge: The rate for water usage remains uniform per gallon for commercial customers, reflecting their higher demand without an inclining block structure. This approach ensures consistent, predictable billing for businesses.
Why These Changes Matter
Rates reflect the true cost of maintaining and upgrading the water system.
Businesses benefit from infrastructure improvements that ensure reliable, uninterrupted service for daily operations.
All users contribute to a fair, sustainable system that meets the needs of businesses and the broader community.
The new rates will become effective February 28, 2025, with planned annual adjustments to make sure that our rates keep pace with rising costs and the need for ongoing investment in critical water infrastructure.
Enter your information below to calculate your bill
Enter your account number from your most recent bill to auto-populate your meter size, or select your water meter size from the dropdown below.
| YOUR MONTHLY BILL | CURRENT | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2025 CHANGE | ||||||
| Service Charge - meter | ||||||||||||
| Volume Charge | ||||||||||||
| Tier 1: ≤ 8000 Gallons | ||||||||||||
| Tier 2: 8000+ Gallons | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| TOTAL MONTHLY BILL | ||||||||||||
This calculator is provided for informational purposes only. For questions, please contact (630) 981-6220 or billing@westmont.il.gov. Future rate adjustments are proposed rates to go into effect at the start of each calendar year.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Your water bill includes both a fixed charge and a volumetric charge:
Fixed Charge: This charge is based on the size of your water meter and helps cover the cost of maintaining the system infrastructure to make sure you have 24/7 access to safe, reliable water. It remains the same each billing period within a given year, providing stability for system maintenance and improvements, regardless of your water usage.
Volumetric Charge: This charge is based on the amount of water you use and is billed in usage per thousand gallons. Under the inclining block rate structure, the cost per gallon increases as you use more water. This structure encourages conservation and ensures that high water users contribute more to support the system's additional demands.
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Your commercial water bill includes two main components: a fixed charge and a volumetric charge:
Fixed Charge: This charge is based on the size of your water meter and covers the cost of maintaining the infrastructure that ensures reliable service. Larger meters, typically used by businesses with higher water demands, have higher fixed charges to reflect the additional system capacity they require. This charge is consistent each billing period and helps fund the upkeep of the system, including pipes, pumps, and storage facilities.
Volumetric Charge: This charge is based on the total amount of water your business uses during the billing period. Unlike residential customers, commercial customers are charged a uniform rate per gallon, regardless of usage levels. This predictable structure accommodates the steady and often higher water usage typical of businesses.
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The Village of Westmont periodically reviews water rates through a comprehensive rate study, a best practice that ensures our rates align with community needs and financial requirements. This study, conducted with independent experts, helps us keep rates fair and affordable while planning for necessary future investments.
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Starting with the February 28, 2025 issued utility bills, new water rates will be implemented. We will adjust rates annually to make sure they are reflective of current economic conditions and necessary investments needed in our water system.
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The inclining block rate structure charges higher rates for higher usage, encouraging water conservation and ensuring that customers who use the most water contribute more to maintaining the system. The first 16,000 gallons per bill (bi-monthly) is charged at the lower rate, designed to be affordable for essential indoor water use.
To discourage excessive water usage and promote conservation, water usage beyond 16,000 gallons per bill, higher rates will apply as usage increases.
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Water rates fund the entire cost of delivering safe, reliable water to our community. This includes:
Operations and Maintenance: Routine and emergency maintenance of water infrastructure.
Purchased Water: The cost of purchasing finished water from DuPage Water Commission and the City of Chicago.
Infrastructure Investments: Projects like water pipe replacements, water tower upgrades, water plant improvements and regulatory requirements such as replacement of lead service lines
Skilled Workforce: Employing trained professionals who operate and maintain the water system 24/7.
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The Village does not make a profit from water rates. Instead, rates are set to cover the true cost of service, ensuring that every dollar paid by customers directly supports the system’s operation, maintenance, and improvements.
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Our rates remain competitive with other nearby providers. As shown in our comparison chart above, the rate adjustment will keep our rates aligned with regional costs while ensuring that we meet our community's specific infrastructure and service needs.