FAQ Water Bill Questions
FAQs
The Village is pleased to partner with Municipal Services Online to provide online utility payment services. Features of the online system include:
- Secure log-in where customers can save account details
- Prior transaction and consumption history
- Bills in PDF format for easy viewing and/or printing
- Usage data for your water meter
- older and/or inefficient plumbing fixtures and toilets;
- an increase in usage due to an increase in the use of water for irrigation, either with or without automatic irrigation systems, especially in dry summer months;
- filling and maintaining a swimming pool or hot tub;
- a leak in a water line or plumbing fixture inside the house (a leaking toilet can waste up to 250 gallons per hour) or irrigation system; or
- lifestyle changes, such as working from home or at-home schooling.
If you suspect that you may have a leak in your private water system, it is recommended that you contact a plumber as soon as possible. The Public Works Department may also be able to assist in identifying potential leaks within your water system. Contact the Water Division at (847) 461-1652.
Your bill may be higher than last year due to an increase in your water consumption, which can be verified by contacting the Village’s Finance Department or by using water meter information from the Village’s online portal. This may be caused by increased irrigation use from one year to the next, or, many households are spending more time at home, which in many cases has resulted in a significant increase in water usage in a number of areas, such as more toilets flushing, increased hand washing and bathing and water use for cooking and cleaning, etc. In addition, the difference in the volume of water that is used by older plumbing fixtures versus new WaterSense fixtures is significant and can contribute to the increased usage.
Your bill may also be higher due to any of the reasons noted above (leaks, inefficient plumbing fixtures, etc.). In addition, it is important to remember that rates sometimes increase on an annual basis in accordance with the Village’s budget process, which may also cause an increase in bills year over year. As noted by the water rate analysis completed in Fiscal Year 2018, the Village has not historically charged rates at sufficient levels to support the existing water production and distribution system, which led to recommendations for increases in rates over the next 10 years.
More information on the analysis can be found by clicking here.
