Municipal Department
City of Portland Water Bureau (Portland Water Bureau)
Serving City of Portland and surrounding Portland Water Bureau service communities
Population served
The Portland Water Bureau's official system page says the municipal water system delivers more than 30 billion gallons annually to about 840,000 people in Portland and surrounding areas. The system includes approximately 193,000 water meters, 2,250 miles of pipe, and more than 15,000 hydrants; the retail billing record here focuses on the City of Portland sewer, stormwater, and water account.
State system code
FIPS 41
Billing frequency
Residential water meters are read every three months, and the normal single-family account is billed quarterly. Customers may choose monthly statements, but the Water Bureau still calculates the base charge using the quarterly billing rate and divides the total charges across monthly statements. Bimonthly and monthly account schedules also exist, and the exact billing period and meter-read date are shown on the account statement.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
City of Portland Water Bureau (Portland Water Bureau) operates as a municipal department serving City of Portland and surrounding Portland Water Bureau service communities. 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 water commodity rate plus daily base charge, sewer volume charge, property-based stormwater charge, stormwater service-unit charge, and a new Flood Safety Benefit Fee. For July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027, water is $8.833 per CCF, sewer for residential customers is $14.24 per CCF, and the base charge is $0.8906/day for quarterly accounts, $1.3358/day for bimonthly accounts, or $2.6717/day for monthly accounts. Stormwater is $14.739 per 1,000 square feet of billable area per 30 days plus $6.650 per service unit per 30 days. The rate page does not use seasonal water blocks or drought surcharges, but bills differ by cycle, property area, and customer class.. Bills are generated residential water meters are read every three months, and the normal single-family account is billed quarterly. customers may choose monthly statements, but the water bureau still calculates the base charge using the quarterly billing rate and divides the total charges across monthly statements. bimonthly and monthly account schedules also exist, and the exact billing period and meter-read date are shown on the account statement., and a typical residential cost reference is A typical single-family account using 5 CCF per month is estimated at approximately $160-$175 per month for water, sewer, base, stormwater, service-unit, and the new Flood Safety Benefit Fee under the July 2026 rate environment; the exact amount varies by stormwater billable-area category, billing cycle, and property. The City reports that the 2026 rate change increases a typical single-family bill by about $10.20 per month, or 6.36%. For 5,000-7,000 gallons, approximately 6.7-9.4 CCF, a practical total range is about $180-$235 per month before discounts, unusual fees, or solid-waste charges.. 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
Residential sewer volume is related to metered water use because most household water enters the sewer. Portland can calculate the sewer volume charge from actual water use, a winter average, or a class average; actual water use is measured during the winter billing period, while outdoor summer usage can be addressed through the winter-average method. The FY2026-27 residential sewer rate is $14.24 per CCF. Stormwater is calculated separately from developed/billable area and service units, and a Flood Safety Benefit Fee is a separate City pass-through charge rather than a sewer percentage.
Meter and infrastructure notes
Portland reports approximately 193,000 water meters and reads single-family residential meters every three months. The standard customer meter measures cubic feet, with one CCF equal to 748 gallons. The Water Bureau can issue an estimated bill when the meter cannot be read because of access, weather, a failed meter, or illegal bypass; estimates are based on past property usage. The public current pages do not promise universal hourly AMI transmission, but the Customer Self-Service portal provides up to three years of meter-reading, usage, and billing history for each account.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
Call Portland Water Bureau's 24-hour water-service emergency line at 503-823-4874 for main breaks, water running in streets, sudden loss of service, a broken property pipe requiring an emergency shutoff, or other urgent water-service problems. Drinking-water quality questions use 503-823-7525 during business hours; urgent after-hours quality concerns use 503-823-4874 option 1.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for City of Portland and surrounding Portland Water Bureau service communities
City of Portland Water Bureau (Portland Water Bureau) 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.