Water rates are necessary to provide sufficient funds to operate the city’s waterworks and water facilities.
The Board of Alderman of the City of St. Louis is the party responsible for setting the rates for the City of St. Louis Water Division. This legislative body, consisting of alderman at large from each of the city’s wards, must vote to adjust rates whenever necessary.
Learn more about the Water Rate Reviews.
Use the calculator below to generate an estimate of your water bill on either a metered or flat rate account. Bill projections are available to 2032, and are subject to change.
Most residential properties within the city are billed at a flat rate. Charges are calculated quarterly (every three months), based on the physical characteristics of the property. Please refer below for the billable characteristics:
| Description | Quarterly Charge |
|---|---|
| Room (each) | $6.57 |
| Water Closet (each) | $25.76 |
| Bath (each) | $21.61 |
| Shower, separate from bath (each) | $21.61 |
| Sprinkling charge (Linear Foot) | $0.44 |
A flat water rate shall be applied where a swimming pool, pond or other pool is found on the premises having a capacity of more than one hundred (100) cubic feet and less than two thousand (2,000) cubic feet which are not metered under Section 23.16.060, Revised Code. Said flat rate shall be payable for periods of three (3) months in advance as follows:
| Capacity (Cubic Feet) | Quarterly Charge |
|---|---|
| More than 100 but less than 501 | $35.47 |
| 501 but less than 1,001 | $49.65 |
| 1,001 but less than 1,501 | $63.86 |
| 1,501 but less than 2,000 | $78.03 |
After paying the flat rates, the user shall have the option to pay instead at metered rates as provided by Chapter 23.18 of the Revised Code. Such option shall be exercised in writing on forms supplied by the Water Commissioner. The user shall provide for the meter by having a meter box and set up installed on the service in accordance with the current connection regulations, furnished and installed at the user’s own expense by a licensed plumber.
Metered accounts are primarily used for commercial properties and residential dwellings with seven or more units, though single-family homeowners can opt to pay for meter installation. These bills fluctuate based on two primary components:
| Meter Size | Quarterly Charge |
|---|---|
| 5/8″ | $41.72 |
| 3/4″ | $48.63 |
| 1″ | $61.63 |
| 1 1/2″ | $89.14 |
| 2″ | $129.54 |
| 3″ | $251.16 |
| 4″ | $445.51 |
| 6″ | $850.57 |
| 8″ | $1,296.06 |
| 10″ | $1,782.12 |
Should water be furnished through two (2) or more separate meters, the readiness-to-serve charge shall be the combined total of the readiness-to-serve charge for each meter. Should water be furnished through a single meter containing two (2) or more metering elements, the readiness-to-serve charge shall be that for a single meter the size of the largest metering element.
Should water be furnished through two (2) or more meters or through a single meter with two (2) or more metering elements, the quantity charge shall be based on the combined total of all water used as indicated by all registers.
The Water Division may, in the discretion of the Water Commissioner, enter into separate written agreements with certain large metered users pursuant to which the user agrees to pay a higher rate than that required by this Section 23.18.070.
| Quantity | Quarterly Charge (Per CCF) |
|---|---|
| First 250 CCF | $3.09 |
| Next 19,750 CCF | $2.42 |
| Over 20,000 CCF | $1.55 |
The readiness-to-serve charge and quantity charge for any public, parochial, or inter-parochial school or Qualified Charitable Institution in the City shall be as follows, subject to the Inflation Adjustment. The School Rate is adjusted to align with the Charitable Institution Rate. As used in this page, “Qualified Charitable Institution” shall mean an institution which has made written application to the Water Commissioner, signed by its president, secretary or managing officer, asking for a special charity rate, and stating that free service is furnished to not less than ten (10) percent of its clients, and giving special details of the management as are necessary to show the philanthropic nature of the institution, which application has been approved by the Water Commissioner for the reduced rates set forth above.
| Quantity | Quarterly Charge (Per CCF) |
|---|---|
| First 250 CCF | $1.63 |
| Next 19,750 CCF | $1.63 |
| Over 20,000 CCF | $1.63 |
The readiness-to-serve charge and quantity charge for any hospital, public library, art museum of the Art Museum subdistrict of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District of the City of St. Louis and the County of St. Louis (“MSD”), or zoological parks of the Zoological subdistrict of MSD in the City shall be as follows, subject to the Inflation Adjustment.
Please note that the Hospitals, Zoological Parks, and Museums special rate classification will be eliminated effective January 1, 2027.
| Quantity | Quarterly Charge (Per CCF) |
|---|---|
| First 250 CCF | $1.63 |
| Next 19,750 CCF | $1.63 |
| Over 20,000 CCF | $1.63 |
As used on this page, “Qualified Affordability Customer” shall mean a residential customer who makes a written application to the Water Commissioner, which application has been approved by the Water Commissioner for the reduced rates set forth above, to be known as the “Affordability Rate.”
Eligibility for status as a Qualified Affordability Customer shall be determined based on criteria established by the Water Commissioner, which may include, but are not limited to: household income; age of applicant; demonstrated eligibility from past assistance programs; and/or documented impact from a natural or man-made disaster.
To remain eligible for use of the Affordability Rate, a Qualified Affordability Customer must be current in their Water Division account. Customers with delinquent balances may be required to enter and remain current on an approved repayment agreement as a condition of eligibility or continued participation. Failure to comply with such requirements may result in suspension or termination of Qualified Affordability Customer status. A customer with a delinquent balance that is actively enrolled in and current with a repayment plan shall be deemed to be current in their Water Division account for purposes of this program.
Any Qualified Affordability Customer or person applying for such status who knowingly provides false, misleading, or incomplete information or otherwise engages in fraud or abuse with respect to the Affordability Rate, as determined by the Water Commissioner, shall immediately lose status as a Qualified Affordability Customer and be ineligible to apply for such status in the future. The Water Commissioner is authorized to retroactively recover the difference between the Affordability Rate and the standard water rate for any period in which the Affordability Rate was improperly obtained, in addition to any other remedies permitted by law or ordinance.
The Water Commissioner may require periodic recertification of eligibility for Qualified Affordability Customer status. Continued participation is conditioned upon ongoing compliance with Water Division requirements. The Water Commissioner may suspend or revoke participation for failure to meet eligibility criteria, comply with recertification requirements, or adhere to program requirements.
| Description | Quarterly Charge |
|---|---|
| Room (each) | $3.29 |
| Water Closet (each) | $12.88 |
| Bath (each) | $10.80 |
| Shower, separate from bath (each) | $10.80 |
| Sprinkling charge (Linear Foot) | $0.22 |
| Meter Size | Quarterly Charge |
|---|---|
| 5/8″ | $20.86 |
| 3/4″ | $24.31 |
| 1″ | $30.82 |
| 1 1/2″ | $44.57 |
| 2″ | $64.77 |
| 3″ | $125.58 |
| 4″ | $222.57 |
| 6″ | $425.28 |
| 8″ | $648.03 |
| 10″ | $891.06 |
| Quantity | Quarterly Charge (Per CCF) |
|---|---|
| First 250 CCF | $1.55 |
There are three specific additional fees that appear on a water bill:
| Service Type / Meter Size | Quarterly Fee |
|---|---|
| All Flat Rate Accounts | $1.05 |
| 1″ or less | $1.05 |
| 1 1/2″ and 2″ | $5.25 |
| 3″ and 4″ | $25.50 |
| Greater than 4″ | $49.50 |
Note: All Rates are listed as quarterly charge per connection
| Applicable Accounts | Quarterly Charge |
|---|---|
| Flat Rate Residential Accounts | $3.00 |
| Metered Residential Accounts (6 or fewer dwelling units) | $3.00 |
Purpose: Funds repairs to leaking service lines located within any public street, alley, right-of-way, or easement.
| Description | Rate |
|---|---|
| Tax on Water Works Revenue Fund Gross Receipts | 10% total |
| Portion Passed Directly to Consumer | 4% |
| Portion Incorporated in Rate Structure | 6% |
| Service | Charge |
|---|---|
| Turn-On (New Flat Rate or Meter Account) | $50.00* |
| Turn-On After Delinquent Shutoff | $75.00* |
*Subject to Inflation Adjustment.
“Inflation Adjustment” shall mean that notwithstanding the rates enacted for the First Year and any rates enacted for the Second and Third Years, (a) on January 1 of each calendar year from January 1, 2026 and thereafter, each water rate and service charge shall increase automatically by the annual change in CPI-U for the preceding calendar year as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the event that the CPI-U for the preceding calendar year is a positive number; and (b) in the event the CPI-U for the preceding calendar year is not a positive number, the rate or service charge shall continue without change for another calendar year.
The Collector of Revenue shall furnish the Water Commissioner a written list each day of all water bills paid the previous day. The Water Commissioner shall shut off the water from all premises for the nonpayment of delinquent bills. Water shall not again be furnished thereto until all outstanding obligations for water supplied to such premises shall have been paid in full and a charge of $50.00 has been paid in advance for turning on such water, subject to the Inflation Adjustment.
All new and existing installations for private sprinkler type protection shall be provided with a suitable control valve just inside the building or property line. Connections serving automatic sprinkler equipment must be equipped with an approved type of water flow alarm service of any of local and central station alarms, local alarms and watchman with watch service, or approved outdoor local alarms where there is no watchman on the premises. Water through these connections shall be used to extinguish fires only and the use of water for any other purpose is expressly prohibited. No meter shall be required on connections used to supply private fire protection systems with sprinkler equipment only. Where new and existing connections for private fire protection supply standpipe and hose rack systems or private fire hydrants are or have been installed, a detector check valve with bypass meter and vault shall be installed at the expense of the applicant and if it is found that water is being used for purposes other than the extinguishment of fires or testing, the Water Commissioner shall install a fire service meter and vault at the expense of the owner or occupant. Prior to installation the Water Commissioner shall require a deposit for the estimated cost of all fire service meter and vault installations within ten (10) days of notification or the water shall be shut off from the water main and the Insurance Services Office of Missouri and the Fire Marshal notified of this action. A service charge of Two Hundred Ninety-Seven Dollars ($297.00), subject to the Inflation Adjustment, shall be assessed against each connection made with the mains of the Water Division for all new and existing private fire protection connections used to supply sprinkler equipment only and against all new and existing private fire protection connections regulated by detector check valves with bypass meters. Should water in excess of that required for the emergency extinguishment of fires be used through any private fire protection system regulated by a detector check valve with bypass meter then such water use shall be assessed a quantity charge, but not the readiness-to-serve charge, at the rates set forth in Section Six of Ordinance #71683. Private fire protection connections regulated by fire service meters shall be assessed the regular meter rates as set forth in Section Six of Ordinance #71683. For any private fire protection connection regulated either by a detector check valve with bypass meter or by a fire meter an adjustment will be made for water used for the emergency extinguishment of fire where such use is claimed and certified to the Water Commissioner by the occupant or owner. In cases where these bills are not paid within thirty (30) days, the Water Commissioner shall cause the connection to be shut off and notify the Insurance Services Office of Missouri and the Fire Marshal of this action.
Sprinkler protection shall be considered a piping system with nationally recognized testing laboratory approved sprinkler heads attached. Stand-pipe and hose racks systems shall be considered any arrangements of piping whereby hoses for fighting fires can be attached to the pipes and used either by the occupant or owner or the Fire Department. A fire hydrant shall be considered any water connection with an outlet at least two and one-half (2 1/2) inches inside diameter and provided with the same size threads used by the St. Louis Fire Department. Two (2) inch or smaller fire protection connections shall be used only when approved by the Fire Marshal and by the Water Commissioner and no water for purposes other than fire extinguishment shall be taken from such connections.
Limited service sprinklers attached to domestic service lines shall conform to the following minimum requirements. One (1) sprinkler head per fire area when supplied from a one (1) inch domestic service. Two (2) sprinkler heads per fire area when supplied from a one-and-one-half (1 1/2) inch domestic service. Four (4) sprinkler heads per fire area when supplied from a two (2) inch domestic service. A fire area shall be a confined area which may contain hazardous substances. Limited service sprinklers in any one (1) building shall be limited to a maximum of twenty (20) sprinklers. No sprinkler supply lines shall be attached to the domestic service before the domestic water meter.
“Current” reflects the water rates effective July 1, 2026. Future years show the scheduled increases adopted by ordinance. This calculator provides an estimate only; your actual bill may vary. Contact the Water Division with billing questions.
