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Utilities
Water and Sewer
Trash and Recycling
Questions/Comments?
Water and Sewer
Establishing or Terminating Service
Water and Sewer Rates
Billing and Payment
Calculating Water Use
When Is My Meter Read?
How Is My Meter Read?
Troubleshooting High Water Use
Questions?
ESTABLISHING OR TERMINATING SERVICE
You may establish water and sewer service for property located within the City of Galena at City Hall or by contacting the Utility Department at 815-777-1050. The Application for Service form may be printed and delivered, mailed or faxed to the City of Galena at the following address or phone number:
City of Galena
City Hall
312 1/2 N. Main Street
Galena, IL 61036
Fax: 815-777-3083
Water and sewer service may be terminated by completing the Termination of Service form and printed, mailed or faxed to City Hall at the above address or phone number.
WATER AND SEWER RATES
The following rates are billed on a monthly basis.
| Water | $4.03 automatic base fee, plus $4.72 per 1,000 gallons |
| Sewer | $7.30 automatic base fee, plus $5.18 per 1,000 gallons of water use |
| Residential Sewer Only | $7.30 base fee, plus $36.44 per billing |
| Commercial Sewer Only | $7.30 base fee, plus $60.25 per billing |
BILLING AND PAYMENT
Water and sewer customers are billed by mail each month. Bills are mailed the last business day of each month with payments due by the 15th. Payments not received prior to 12:00 (noon) on the 15th are subject to penalties.
The following payment options are available.
- Cash or Check – Payments can be mailed, dropped off at City Hall or deposited in our drop box located at the Main Street entrance to City Hall.
- Credit Cards – Payment may be made in person or by phoning City Hall with your credit card information.
- Automatic Debit from Checking or Savings Account—An Automatic Debit Payment application must be filed at City Hall for this option.
Mailed payments and application forms should be addressed to:
City of Galena
City Hall c/o Utility Dept.
312 1/2 N. Main Street
Galena, IL 61036
The City of Galena visits your property and records usage on your water meter every month. When meters are not read in person, usage for the month is estimated. Estimates are based on the average of your previous two months usage. Your bill will reflect a “0” under previous read on the months you are estimated. Your estimated usage is deducted from the actual usage on your next billing and you are only billed for the difference.
HOW IS MY METER READ?
Your meter is read once a month by a City of Galena employee using a handheld electronic reader. A touchpad connected to your indoor water meter has been installed on the outside of your house. When the handheld electronic reader touches the touchpad your water usage downloads into the handheld reader. The handheld reader measures use in even thousand gallon increments. Therefore, if your inside meter reads 58,895 gallons, the handheld reading from the outside will be 58,000. The additional 895 gallons will be billed once your water consumption reaches the next thousand gallons or, in this example, 59,000 gallons. Estimating is only used in exceptional circumstances.
WHEN IS MY METER READ?
The city has been divided into five routes for the purpose of reading meters. Each route is read at approximately the same time each month. Please feel free to contact City Hall if you would like to know on what date your meter will be read. We appreciate your help in keeping a clear path to your touchpad and keeping the touchpad clearly visible.
TROUBLESHOOTING HIGH WATER USE
If you feel your water consumption or bill seems high given your historical use, please locate your inside meter and write down the actual reading from the meter before calling City Hall. This will help us determine what your actual usage has been since the last time we took an actual reading from your touchpad.
Your meter has a leak indicator which will tell you if water is going through your meter. When you know there is no water being used, please check this indicator (small red dial) to make sure it is not moving. If the indicator is moving, water is going through your meter somewhere on the property. It is the responsibility of the property owner or tenant to determine where the water is being used. Some of the more common problems are:
- A leaking toilet. (Simple test: Place food coloring in the tank and let sit for 10 minutes. If color comes into the bowl your toilet is leaking.)
- A leaking hot water heater.
- A faulty water softener.
- A hose that has been left on.
- An outside hose bib that is leaking.
- An undetected broken pipe in a crawl space.
Please remember that because the actual consumption reading we take is measured in even thousand gallon increments, and is to the thousand below what you have actually used, there may be occasional months when you use and are billed for an additional 1,000 gallons.
The City of Galena contracts with Montgomery Trucking for residential refuse and recycling collection.
Residential trash removal service is typically established during application for water and sewer service. Residential customers may establish trash removal, water and sewer service by submitting the Application for Service form or by contacting the City of Galena at 815-777-1050.
Commercial customers may establish garbage removal service by contacting:
Montgomery Trucking
929 Fulton
Galena, IL 61036
815-777-0672
REFUSE GUIDELINES
Trash must be placed near the street for collection not earlier than the day before scheduled collection.
Empty containers must be removed the day of collection.
Not more than one container per household may be set out for collection each week. Special tags are available if you have more than one container of residential trash for collection. Tags may be purchased at Tammy’s Piggly Wiggly Supermarket, City Hall or by calling Montgomery Trucking at 815-777-0672.
Containers must be maintained in good order and repair, be rodent-proof with a tight cover, and not more than 45 gallons capacity. Containers should be sufficiently strong to prevent spillage and wind-carry.
Oversized items such as appliances and furniture are not permitted for normal collection. Arrangements may be made directly with Montgomery Trucking at 815-777-0672 for collection of oversized items.
Tires, hazardous liquids and landscape materials are banned from landfills and cannot be collected with normal trash. The City makes available a site for depositing trees and branches downed in storms. Please call City Hall at 815-777-1050 for more information.
REFUSE COLLECTION SCHEDULE
Curbside trash collection occurs on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday dependent on your location. Contact City Hall to determine your pickup day.
There is no collection on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. When collection falls on one of these holidays, collections are delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
REFUSE AND RECYCLING RATES
The monthly fee for garbage and recycling is $11.55. You will find this figure on your monthly utility bill across from the “GB” abbreviation. Of the $11.55 total cost, $9.05 is charged for trash collection and $2.50 is charged for recycling collection.
RECYCLABLE ITEMS
Recycling is easy. It’s starting that’s hard. Once you start, it becomes an automatic (and good) habit. This one page, printable Recycling Guide explains how to do it and what items are recyclable. A fact sheet is also included about refuse collection and yard waste.
The City of Galena offers a Christmas Tree Recycling program during December and January. Live trees are collected from temporary bins erected in various locations throughout the community. Trees must be free of all ornaments, tinsel and lights. Any stands, plastic or bagging material must also be removed. Trees will not be collected as part of regular weekly curbside pickup.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact the City of Galena Utility Department at 815-777-1050 with any questions. Office hours are 8:00 a.m to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.