Utility Billing

The City of Galveston has developed a fair and equitable plan to address utility billing for customers that sustained pipe damage resulting in water leaks during the freeze. This policy adjusts customers’ bills to avoid costs from consumption excesses due to water line leaks.

 Many city water customers experienced water line breaks due to freezing temperatures last week. The city performed meter reads as it does every month over the weekend of February 20-21, and the results show the effects of the freezing temperatures on water usage. The City received more than 2,000 requests from water customers to perform meter cutoffs and approximately 16,000 accounts had a consumption that exceeded January’s amount.  

To address the high number of accounts with excess usage, the city will bill customers the lesser amount of their February and January bills. Customers whose February consumption was equal to or less than January will receive a bill based on the actual February consumption. If February usage exceeds January, then the January amount will be billed. For example, if a customer's January bill totaled $105, but the February consumption totaled $190, the customer would be billed $105. This will account for excessive consumption caused by water leaks.  

“Our IT, Utility Billing and Finance departments have analyzed utility billing accounts and established a fair policy to ensure residents do not receive astronomical bills due to water line leaks," City Manager Brian Maxwell said. 

If a customer, upon receiving their March and April bills, determines that an additional adjustment may be warranted based on their records for a leak that occurred after February’s read, the customer should contact Utility Billing at 409-797-3550 or www.galvestontx.gov/paymywaterbill 

As of February 1st, 2016, utility payments online using a credit or debit card are FREE!  The City has partnered with a new service provider and is passing on those savings to you, our customer.  

In addition, the City also offers an auto payment program where the amount due is drafted automatically each month.

*Please note a $0.75 service fee will be added and collected by a third party processor for eCheck payments.


To pay your utility bill online, visit http://cityofgalveston.org/176/Utility-Billing.

City Offering Payment Plans for Past Due Accounts 

Beginning May 7th, the City will be disconnecting water service for customers who have a past due balance.

Galveston’s Utility Billing department is looking to work with citizens who have fallen behind on their utility bills by offering payment plans before disconnecting service. With Hurricane Harvey, the holiday’s, and an unusually cold beginning of the year, the department stopped turning off water to customers’ homes or businesses who were delinquent last fall. They will resume disconnections for non-payment beginning on May 7, 2018.

Customers seeking to avoid costly penalties and disruption of services are encouraged to participate in the payment plan program available to them. Enrolling in this penalty-free program is easy. Those in need of the relief can follow the steps below:

1. Call the Utility Billing department at 409-797-3550 during normal business hours.

2. Make a payment to start your enrollment in the program.

3. Set up a payment arrangement for the remaining balance.

This program will be available through May 4, 2018. Customers who enroll will be required to make ALL scheduled payments, on-time, with no extensions given. A missed payment while on the payment arrangement will reinstate penalties and void your enrollment.

To sign up today for this gracious offer by the City’s utility billing department, please call 409-797-3550. For more information, please visit www.galvestontx.gov/utilitybilling.

New utility billing web-portal launching in August

City of Galveston utility customers in August will see a new utility billing web-portal when accessing their bills online.

The new website will roll out on Monday, August 5, and offer additional and upgraded features for customers. These changes include easy-to-view due dates and payments due, and in-depth payment histories.

Customers with multiple accounts will more easily be able to toggle between different properties and accounts. The new upgrade also gives the city the ability to send messages to customers through their online account. There also will be additional security features in the new design to protect customers.

Customers interested in seeing the new web-portal may stop by the Utility Billing Department on the first floor of City Hall at 823 25th Street.

Customers will not need to change their existing logins for the new web-portal. If customers have not yet signed in, they may create a login by visiting the “Pay My Water Bill” tab on the homepage of www.galvestontx.gov.

If customers have any questions about the new utility billing website, they are welcome to call Utility Billing at 409-797-3550.

Contact Us

  1. Utility Billing Customer Service

    Email Customer Service

    Physical Address
    823 Rosenberg
    Room 102
    Galveston, TX 77550

    Phone: 409-797-3550
    Fax: 409-242-2148

    Office Hours
    Monday - Friday
    8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    New Service Hours
    Monday - Friday
    8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

    Directory

Rate Calculators

  1. Residential Rate Calculator February 2019 (xls)
  2. Commercial Rate Calculator February 2019 (xls)
  3. Sprinkler Rate Calculator February 2019 (xls)

Helpful Documents

  1. 2019 rate increase ordinance
  2. Water and Sewer Rate Discussion March 8, 2016 for San Jacinto HOA (PDF)
  3. ORD 15 067 Water and Sewer Rates 082715 (PDF)
  4. Water Presentation West End HOA February 27 2017 (PDF)
  5. Waterworks and Sewer System Fund FY 2017 December Report (PDF)
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Utility Services

Applications for new service received by fax or email after 4pm will be processed the next business day