Payment channels

Pay City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) - Water Services

Use the provider’s verified online, telephone, mail, or counter instructions. Check the final confirmation screen for the amount, processing date, and any transaction fee before submitting.

Primary online route

Use the official payment portal

The direct portal is the fastest route when it is available. The provider identifies its payment gateway as MyCPAU; the reviewed official pages do not identify the underlying portal vendor.. Never enter account credentials into a lookalike site reached through an unsolicited message.

Open payment portal ↗

Telephone payment

Phone IVR

(650) 329-2497 for the automated 24-hour payment and balance system. Customer Service is (650) 329-2161.

Have your account number and payment instrument ready. Follow the provider’s recorded prompts and retain the confirmation number.

Alternative channels

Mail, text, and in-person payment instructions

Pay by text

MyCPAU supports customized notification preferences and WaterSmart leak alerts, but the reviewed payment pages do not publish a text-to-pay keyword or short code. Customers should enroll in MyCPAU notifications and use the portal or automated phone system for payment.

Mail-in address

City of Palo Alto, P.O. Box 51019, Los Angeles, CA 90051-5319. A City Hall payment drop box is available at 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Counters, drop boxes, and office hours

Utilities Customer Service, City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue, ground floor, Palo Alto, CA 94301. In-person hours are Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Friday appointment only. Credit/debit card payments are handled at the Utilities counter with tap-to-pay; cash/check payments go to the Revenue Collections Counter. Night depository boxes are available at City Hall and the Civic Center Garage.

Accepted digital instruments

What you can use online

MyCPAU supports credit/debit card and checking-account payments, including recurring AutoPay and free automatic bank drafting. The reviewed pages do not verify ACH fee details beyond free bank drafting or digital wallets.

2026 transaction pricing

Convenience fees

Recurring credit-card payments are advertised with no service fee. Rule and Regulation 11 permits a cost-recovery fee of up to 2.7% on amounts over $5,000 for certain card payments; the reviewed pages do not expose a standard residential 2026 online fee below that threshold.

Fees can vary by payment type, channel, account class, and processor terms. The checkout screen is the final fee disclosure.

Payment guidance

Choose the payment channel that fits your deadline

The safest payment path is the one published by City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) - Water Services and matched to the account information on your bill. Online portals are convenient, but telephone, mail, counter, and drop-box options may follow different posting schedules and may use different fees.

For a routine payment, save the final confirmation page or IVR number and check when the transaction will post. For a same-day shut-off notice, do not assume that submitting a card payment automatically stops a field order; ask the provider what amount and confirmation are required.

Never send your account number, password, card details, or bank information to Water Ledger. Those details belong only on the provider’s verified payment channel or at an authorized counter.

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