Water & Sewer Utility Bill Information

The City will still be accepting online, lockbox and drop box tax payments during City Hall’s holiday closure and personnel will be checking the drop box throughout the week. All mail posted or payments delivered in December will be honored as a December payment.

Screen Shot 2020-10-16 at 11.31.07 AM
Please mail your water bill payment to:
Department 181601
City of Sterling Heights - Water
P.O. Box 55000
Detroit, MI 48255-1816

For questions and concerns regarding your Water & Sewer bill please email waterbilling@sterling-heights.net. 
  * Please send your address and current meter reading for          consumption questions.


To request a final water bill please:

Send the request to: waterbilling@sterling-heights.net
Please provide:
  • Service address
  • 6 digit numbers on the meter located in basement
  • Email address where the final bill request is to be sent
Downward consumption trend continues
Effective July 1, 2020, a net 5.2% increase will be passed on to
Water & Sewer customers. 

Sterling Heights purchases its water and sewage services from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) and the Macomb County Public Works office.  ​

For 2020/21 the City will pass on:
  • A 3.0% increase in water rates from the GLWA.
  • A 4.8% increase in Macomb County sewer charges and debt service.  
Water consumption has fallen by nearly 20% over the last decade including a 6.6% drop that is expected this year.  Due to the primarily fixed rate structure, this further increases water & sewer rates.

The average Sterling Heights residential customer will pay $64 per month for water & sewer services, only a $3/month increase over last year.

According to a 2016 Black & Veatch rate survey, the average monthly water & sewer bill for the City of Sterling Heights is 29% below the average rates and 23% below the median rates of the 50 largest cities in the United States.

Sterling Heights Water and Sewer Billing FactsScreen Shot 2020-10-05 at 12.44.05 PM
  • Thanks to the cooperation of residents and businesses in following outdoor watering restrictions, the City was able to renegotiate contract terms with the GLWA in December 2017, resulting in a savings on the cost of water purchased. 
  • A 25% discount, up to $26, is applied to all summer water consumption.  Most cities do not offer a summer consumption discount.
  • New users of the system pay for all water and sewer line additions.  Therefore, Sterling Heights’ rates do not contain any amount for expansion of the system.
  • Nearly 90% of the water and sewer system is complete and paid for.  As a result, there is no outstanding water or sewer debt.
  • Nearly 80% of the city’s water and sewer budget is for payments to the GLWA and Macomb County Public Works for water and sewer services.

Great Lakes Water Authority Assisting Low Income Residents with WRAP Program


Community Action Alliance will deliver WRAP through our Empowerment Pathway Model - a custom designed service plan to help residential customers in the Great Lakes Water Authority regions to access bill assistance, water conservation measures, and navigate resources and WRAP-around supports on a pathway towards self-sufficiency.

Learn more about WRAP
WRAP logo