New water billing starts this month in Kalispell

The Kalispell Public Works Department has begun billing for water and sewer on a monthly basis.

Residents in city limits will now receive their water bills on the 20th of each month, which will be due on the 10th of the following month. For customers who received their last bill in November, the January bill will reflect usage from November through January and monthly billing will begin in February. Residents who received a December water bill will see the cycle change this month.

Kalispell Public Works Director Susie Turner said the change is meant to better serve customers.

“The purpose of monthly utility billing is to provide our customers with improved service,” Turner said. “Monthly utility billing also has the potential to alleviate a large burden for an individual customer that may be experiencing a leak in their service line or household plumbing that could go an extra month prior to being identified.”

The Kalispell City Council approved the change in November on an 8-1 vote. Several council members had personal experiences with billing issues that allowed leaks to go unnoticed until a bill arrived two months later.

Council member Phil Guiffrida said a faulty sprinkler system was running several times each night, increasing his water bill several hundred dollars.

A landlord at a City Council meeting in November described the issue as awkward when there is tenant turnover, often leaving a portion of the bill in limbo between the owner and tenant.

The cost of the changeover is $130,000 to cover an additional billing clerk and printing costs. The change to monthly billing won’t generate any more money to cover those costs, but Kalispell City Manager Doug Russell said the city budget allows for the increase without forcing the Public Works Department to increase utility fees.

“Obviously, we think the level of service increase and ability to detect leaks outweigh those costs,” Russell said in November.

Turner said the Public Works Department issued a notice of the change in November to 8,920 customers. Only 20 people responded with comments: half in favor, half against.

“It is the city’s intent to make the transition to monthly billing as effortless as possible for our utility customers,” Turner said. “City staff is available to assist in understanding the changes and respond to any questions.”

The monthly bills have also been mentioned by council members as a possible low-cost mechanism to relay city announcements and messages to residents who don’t check their email or social media accounts. That plan hasn’t been officially approved by the council.

For additional information, contact the Public Works Department at 758-7720.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.