Will I need to incorporate into the City of Joliet? No, the area served by the existing district will remain unincorporated.
Do I have to set up an account with the City of Joliet? Each resident or water customer will be required to fill out an application for water and sewer service in order to establish an account for billing purposes, much like you do as a new resident. In addition, the owner of the property will be required to sign a service agreement form stating they will comply with the terms and conditions of receiving service from the City of Joliet.
Do I have to pay the $125 application fee mentioned in the Application for Water & Sewer Service? Initially, the City will not charge the $125 deposit for any accounts already in the tenant’s name. However, any new tenant accounts after February 1st will be subject to the $125 deposit.
Will my water still be metered with my existing water meter? No, your existing water meter will be replaced with a new Sensus meter that will work with the City of Joliet billing system. Until the meter is replaced, residential water customers will receive a flat rate utility bill of $65 per month. Meter replacements will begin shortly after February 1. Once you are contacted by the City’s contractor, you will have 90 days to schedule the appointment to have the new water meter installed, or the flat rate bill will be increased to $150 per month. If you fail to get the water meter replaced within an appropriate amount of time, the City of Joliet may shut your water off until the appointment is made. The 90-day timeframe will not begin until notices are sent out to customers to contact the contractor and schedule your appointment. Commercial and industrial water customers will not receive a flat rate bill. The City’s meter readers will read these meters, and actual usage will be billed. A new meter will still need to be installed and commercial customers will be contacted by the City’s contractor to schedule an appointment.
When will I get my first bill? The first City of Joliet water bill should arrive mid-March. Since the transfer occurs February 1, the billing cycle will be monthly from the 1st to the 1st.
When will I get my final bill from SEJSD? Final billing will be sent after February 1, 2026 for services through January 31st.
Can I pay my bill online? Yes, online bill pay is available through Paymentus via a link on the City of Joliet Website https://ipn.paymentus.com/cp/cjlt. There is a small service charge for online bill pay. (There is a $1,000 maximum amount via this method)
Does the City of Joliet have Direct Debit for water bill payments? Yes, the application for automatic bank draft payments is also available on the City of Joliet Website at https://www.joliet.gov/home/showdocument?id=1792. This option is free of additional charges. A voided check must be provided to start this service.
Are there other payment options available? other options for paying your bill include:
- Electronically through your bank’s online bill pay (must provide correct account number)
- U.S. Mail to PO Box 5001 Joliet, IL 60434-5001
- Automated Phone Service available 24 hours a day (877)811-3799 (there is a $2.10 fee for this option and a maximum of $1,000 that can be paid per transaction)
- In person at City Hall, 150 W Jefferson Street, Joliet
- Local bill payment centers (Not recommended as processing can take up to a week or more)
- Drop box outside of City Hall (do NOT deposit cash)
Will my water bill go up? Until the water meter is replaced, all residential water customers will pay a flat rate water bill of $65 per month. This amount was calculated based on an average utility bill currently charged by SEJSD. Once the meter is replaced, you will pay the City of Joliet’s non-resident utility rates. The 2025-2026 utility rates (effective as of 11/01/2025) are available on the City of Joliet website at https://www.joliet.gov/government/departments/customer-service/current-utility-rates
Will the City of Joliet be responsible for repairing water main breaks and maintaining the water & wastewater system? Yes, as of the February 1, 2026 transfer date, the City of Joliet will be responsible for any water main break repairs and ongoing maintenance & rehabilitation of the system. The City of Joliet will be receiving funding from Will County via various funding sources to make much needed upgrades to the water & wastewater systems over the next 10 years.
Will Joliet be doing any work prior to February 1? In order to be prepared to take over operation and maintenance on February 1, the City has contracted with TWG Engineering (The Will Group) to perform locating and surveying of water and sanitary sewer systems in the Southeast Joliet Sanitary District area. This work began the week of November 10, 2025, and will continue through January of 2026. Contractor schedules may be altered due to variable weather conditions. During this process, water and sewer pipe locations will be marked with blue and green temporary paint. Most of the locating will be within the public street right-of-way; however, some markings may extend onto a portion of the front yards. The purpose of this work is for utility mapping, and no construction work or other ground disturbance is planned at this time. Specific questions regarding paint markings, work schedules, or property access can be directed to TWG Engineering (The Will Group) at 815-744-6600.
Who do I contact if I have more questions about the transfer of the water & sewer system to the City of Joliet? Please call the Department of Public Utilities at 815-724-4220, option 1, and your question will be directed to the appropriate staff member. Please also plan to attend the Open House scheduled for January 13, 2026 from 5-7 at Nowell Park. City of Joliet staff from the water and sewer department will be available to answer your questions and discuss more details of the system transfer.
