CWLP Water Rates

The rates governing CWLP water and electric service are approved by the Springfield City Council. The rate information provided on this site is subject to change by ordinance of the Council. The current CWLP Water Rates shown took effect March 1, 2025.

CWLP customer bills also include sewer and sanitary service charges, which are levied by other agencies. The sewer portion of the sewer/sanitary rates is recommended by the City's Department of Public Works (Sewer Division) (opens in a new tab) and approved by the Springfield City Council, while the sanitary portion of the sewer/sanitary rates is set by the Sangamon County Water Reclamation District (opens in a new tab). CWLP collects for these services as a convenience and billing courtesy for the residents and organizations receiving the sewer/sanitary services and all funds are passed on to those agencies less CWLP’s administrative cost.

Sewer & Sanitary Rates

CWLP retail water service is available to all residents and businesses inside the Springfield city limits, for “Inside-the-City” rates, as well as to certain areas outside the city, for “Outside-the-City” rates, including Leland Grove and Southern View. Wholesale water service is provided to Grandview, Jerome, Loami, Rochester, Sugar Creek Public Water District, Williamsville-Sherman Water Commission and Round Prairie Water Cooperative.

CWLP has different water rate classification schedules, which are based on where the customer is located, along with a fire protection line service rate. Standard water service rate schedules apply equally to both residential and business customers; the fire protection line service rate is applicable only to business properties with fire protection water lines. Rates for standard water service include a flat readiness-to-serve meter charge, based on the size of the meter, and separate charges for the volume of water consumed.

The billing unit for water service is 100 cubic feet, which is equivalent to 748 gallons. We estimate our average residential customer uses approximately three units of water each month for each person living in the household.

Water Rate Increases FY25 and FY26 Read More

As a community-owned water supply, CWLP staff took great care in putting together a water rate increase proposal that retains great value to our customers and also provides funding for important projects for the operations and maintenance of the City’s water system. The plan calls for strategic investment in vital water infrastructure in order to continue to provide reliable high quality water and concurrently, also meet the required State mandates for lead service line replacements for our customers.

On Tuesday, February 20, 2024 the Springfield City Council approved the request for a two-year phased-in water rate increase of 32% on the total CWLP Water Charges beginning March 1, 2024 and another 32% on the total CWLP Water Charges beginning March 1, 2025. With these increases an annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Water, Sewer and Trash adjustment will be applied each year starting March 1, 2026.
Video of CWLP’s Full Budget Presentation (opens in a new tab) CWLP’s Budget Presentation PDF (opens PDF in a new tab) Water Rate Increase Proposal Overview (opens PDF in a new tab)

How will the CWLP water rate increase apply to my bill?

On Page 1 of your CWLP bill you will find two lines with water charges, labeled and showing a cost per unit as “First/Next 5 Units/Over 10 Units…” and the “Water Monthly Customer Charge.” If you multiply the total amount of the line “Water Charges” by 1.32, you can calculate an estimate for the Year 1 CWLP increase based on the usage for that bill, and by multiplying that amount by 1.32 again, you can calculate an estimate for the Year 2 CWLP increase based on the usage for that bill.

As an example, the FY25 rate increase represents about 15 cents per day on a household’s bill if using 5 units or 3,740 gallons of water, which would go from $14.78 to $19.51. For more perspective, a gallon of water delivered to the tap to our customers with this increase still costs under a penny per gallon. CWLP’s water rates remain the lowest in the state even with this proposed first year increase of 32%.

Why is a water rate increase needed?

This is the first water rate increase CWLP has requested since the last phased increases completed in 2011, which funded a near top to bottom upgrade of our Water Purification Plant and its High and Low service pump stations. The last water rate increase approved that covered increased costs for operations and maintenance of the water system was 2003 to 2004.

The rate increase approved this year plans ahead for the next two budgets and into the future for larger bonded projects along with addressing current debt and a structural cash deficit in the water fund due to not having enough revenues to cover the increasing costs of operations. The largest project need for this rate increase will provide funds required to address a new State mandate. Beginning in 2027, Illinois cities must replace all lead service lines in their service territories. There are an estimated 11,000 lead service lines in CWLP’s Water Distribution System that exist in CWLP’s Water Distribution System in Springfield’s pre-1930s construction. These lines are part utility-owned and customer-owned and the estimated cost to replace is $150 million.

Other communities such as Bloomington, Quincy and Decatur, to name a few, are also either currently increasing or soon increasing their water rates in order to meet increased regulations on lead service line replacements and other infrastructure needs, signaling that these cities with the City of Springfield are being prudent in investing in this work now.

What projects will be funded?

In FY25 in first set of major projects, we will begin water main replacements with the goal of reaching of 1% of system or 7 miles per year, and also continue work to be ahead of the State’s lead service line mandate, which requires the replacement of the estimated 11,000 of these lines that exist in the CWLP Water Distribution system in Springfield’s pre-1930s construction. Under that mandate, the City has 20 years to complete all of its replacements, which are estimated at a total cost of $150 million.

CWLP’s lead service line replacement program began in 2019 with about 700 replacements completed to date, which included all licensed day cares and schools and many homes with low income families needing assistance. To cover the cost of the private homeowner portion of the lead service line, CWLP has utilized $5 million in IEPA State Revolving Fund (SRF) grant funds to complete those projects to date. CWLP is currently applying for another round of IEPA SRF funding and will continue to route these monies to help cover the cost of replacements for homeowners.

For more information on lead service lines and drinking water safety, visit our information page, https://cwlp.com/LeadAwareness.aspx.

Bill assistance and Savings With Water Conservation

If financial troubles are making it difficult for you to make payments on your CWLP bill, our Customer Service Office (217.789.2030) will provide assistance with a level payment option or a payment plan for your monthly bill.

We also like to help our customers reduce their water usage and be sure to find and fix water leaks to ensure that they don’t waste that resource and face higher bills. Our Energy Services Office is tasked with providing a variety of services designed to help our residential and commercial customers evaluate their electric and water usage and monthly bill.

Implementing water conservation measures and identifying and fixing leaks is a way to reduce your water usage and yield bill savings. Our Energy Services Office is ready to assist and can provide technical assistance with your water and energy usage (217.789.2070 or nrgxprts@cwlp.com). This office offers a number of rebates for HE toilets, rain barrels and more, plus a number of ways to find and fix leaks along with conservation tips.

About non-CWLP services for sewer that appear on the CWLP bill

There are sewer and sanitary services on the CWLP bill that are collected as a courtesy and as a billing cost savings measure for Public Works (opens in a new tab) and the Sangamon County Water Reclamation District (SCWRD). These charges appear on Page 2 of the CWLP bill and include the Public Works Sewer charges, which were approved by the City Council to increase by 32% on March 1 of this year and another 32% on March 1 of 2025 and the SCWRD Charges, which their board approved rates to increase effective May 1 for their sanitary/sewer services provided.

Water Rate 10: Inside-the-City Customers Read More

CWLP's standard Water Rate 10 is available to residential, commercial and industrial customers for water supplied to meters at service addresses located within the Springfield city limits. The billing unit for water service is 100 cubic feet, which is equivalent to 748 gallons. The minimum monthly bill will be equal to the meter charge.

Meter Size (inches)	Monthly Charge

5/8

11.50

3/4

21.52

46.94

1 1/4

66.39

1 1/2

83.06

126.36

223.64

378.50

767.63

1204.42

1987.47

2498.53

Water Rates	Monthly Volume of Use	Charge per Unit
Customers with 5/8" or 3/4" meters	First 5 units	$2.86
	Next 5 units	$4.60
	Over 10 units	$4.77

Water Rates	Monthly Volume of Use	Charge per Unit
Customers with 1" or larger meters	all units	$4.65

Water Rate 11: Outside-the-City Customers (Except Southern View) Read More

CWLP's standard Water Rate 11 is available to residential, commercial and industrial customers for water supplied through meters at service addresses located outside the Springfield city limits but not within Southern View. The monthly meter charges and water rates listed below are set at 130% of the meter charges and water rates specified for Rate 10. The billing unit for water service is 100 cubic feet, which is equivalent to 748 gallons. The minimum monthly bill will be equal to the meter charge.

Meter Size (inches)	Monthly Charge

5/8

14.95

3/4

27.97

61.02

1 1/4

86.30

1 1/2

107.98

164.27

290.73

492.05

997.92

1565.74

2583.71

3248.09

Water Rates	Monthly Volume of Use	Charge per Unit
Customers with 5/8" or 3/4" meters	First 5 units	$3.71
	Next 5 units	$5.98
	Over 10 units	$6.21

Water Rates	Monthly Volume of Use	Charge per Unit
Customers with 1" or larger meters	all units	$6.05

Water Rate 12: Outside-the-City Customers Southern View Only Read More

CWLP's standard Water Rate 12 is available to residential, commercial and industrial customers for water supplied through meters at service addresses located in Southern View. Water rates for customers served under this rate schedule are set at 130% of the water rates specified for Rate 10. The monthly meter charges are also set at 130% of the meter charges specified for Rate 10, plus 50¢. In addition to the charges listed below, the Village of Southern View levies a 5% municipal utility tax on its customers. The 50¢ added on to the meter charge covers the City of Springfield's costs of administering that tax for the village. The billing unit for water service is 100 cubic feet, which is equivalent to 748 gallons. The minimum monthly bill will be equal to the meter charge.

Meter Size (inches)	Monthly Charge

5/8

15.45

3/4

28.47

61.52

1 1/4

86.80

1 1/2

108.48

164.77

291.23

492.55

998.42

1566.24

2584.21

3248.59

Water Rates	Monthly Volume of Use	Charge per Unit
Customers with 5/8" or 3/4" meters	First 5 units	$3.71
	Next 5 units	$5.98
	Over 10 units	$6.21

Water Rates	Monthly Volume of Use	Charge per Unit
Customers with 1" or larger meters	All units	$6.05

Sewer Rates Read More

With the exceptions noted in the panel below, all CWLP retail water customers are assessed fees to cover the cost of waste water treatment. The Sangamon County Water Reclamation District (opens in a new tab) and, for Springfield City residents, the Springfield Office of Public Works (opens in a new tab). CWLP collects for these services as a convenience and billing courtesy for the residents and organizations receiving the sewer/sanitary services and all funds are passed on to those agencies less CWLP’s administrative cost.

Sewer & Sanitary Rates

Fire Protection Line Rates

Upon request, CWLP will provide any business customer with a water service line dedicated solely to premise fire protection. This line is not metered; the customer is charged a flat monthly rate for the service based on a readiness-to-serve charge of $9.69 per inch of diameter of the fire service line that has been installed. No customer with an unmetered fire protection service line is allowed to tap into that line for any other purpose. The existence of such a tap or other connection is a violation of the City Code.

Fire protection line service is available only to CWLP commercial customers.