Municipal Department
City of Modesto Utilities Department – Utility Billing and Water Services
Serving Modesto and portions of Ceres, Del Rio, Empire, Grayson, Salida, and Turlock
Population served
218,771 people for PWS CA5010010 in the California State Water Board project data; the City separately reports more than 75,000 water-service connections and approximately 80,000 monthly utility-billing customers across water, sewer, storm-drain, and garbage services.
State system code
FIPS 06
Billing frequency
Monthly. The billing period runs from the first through the last day of each month, and bills are due on the 25th of the month.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
City of Modesto Utilities Department – Utility Billing and Water Services operates as a municipal department serving Modesto and portions of Ceres, Del Rio, Empire, Grayson, Salida, and Turlock. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Uniform volumetric rate plus a fixed meter-size charge, with a drought surcharge only when a drought emergency is declared. As of January 1, 2026, a 5/8–3/4-inch meter has a $28.86 monthly base charge and consumption is $2.30 per CCF (100 cubic feet, 748 gallons) under the non-drought rate. The City’s rate study lists a future drought rate of $2.80 per CCF effective October 1, 2026 if applicable, but the current public metered-rate page lists $2.30 as the active non-drought rate.. Bills are generated monthly. the billing period runs from the first through the last day of each month, and bills are due on the 25th of the month., and a typical residential cost reference is For a common 5/8–3/4-inch meter using 5,000–7,000 gallons (about 6.68–9.36 CCF), the 2026 water-only estimate is approximately $44.22–$50.39 before sewer, storm-drain, and garbage charges: $28.86 fixed plus $2.30 per CCF. The FY2026–27 single-family sewer charge is $5.60 per account plus $43.97 per dwelling, producing an estimated water-and-sewer total of about $93.79–$99.96 before other municipal services and any assistance credit.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
Modesto’s published FY2026–27 residential sewer schedule is primarily a fixed monthly charge rather than a winter-average percentage of water intake: $5.60 per account plus $43.97 per single-family dwelling, with lower dwelling charges for 2–4-unit properties and apartments. Commercial sewer is flow and strength based, using CCF-equivalent flow and BOD/TSS categories. The City’s billing FAQ states that ready-to-serve sewer and storm-drain charges continue monthly even if water is disconnected for nonpayment; water consumption itself is metered separately.
Meter and infrastructure notes
The City is fully metered as of January 2023 and reads water meters once each month to calculate the difference between the current and prior readings. Modesto uses automated meter reading (AMR): meter readers electronically collect data while driving within roughly 300 feet of meters rather than manually reading each property. The City reports more than 70,000 water meters in operation and says AMR supports more accurate billing and immediate leak detection. A 2026 City planning document says a full AMI replacement/update project remains on hold, so this is AMR with monthly billing rather than a completed two-way hourly AMI network.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
(209) 342-2246, the City of Modesto Water Services Division’s 24-hour, seven-days-a-week emergency water hotline for main breaks, service leaks, valve leaks, hydrant knockovers, pressure issues, water waste, and emergency water-service shutoffs.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Modesto and portions of Ceres, Del Rio, Empire, Grayson, Salida, and Turlock
City of Modesto Utilities Department – Utility Billing and Water Services is listed here as a municipal department. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.