Utilities

The flow through a cross-connection from a possible source of contamination back into the drinking water system.

Any physical connection between a possible source of contamination and any drinking water system piping

Yes you may view your account history and view your bills online. You may also enroll in email billing if you would like us to stop mailing your bill. Click here to sign up. 

LCDU Meter Readers use state-of-the-art hand-held computers when recording their readings, and the information is downloaded into the utility’s billing software at the end of each day. The hand-held computer is highly reliable and has greatly reduced the potential for error. For one thing, it has virtually eliminated paperwork throughout the meter reading process. In addition, it has a built-in safeguard: if a meter reader accidentally enters a number that the computer believes would lead to an unrealistic bill, it will sound an alarm so that the meter can be re-read or verified.

Refer to the service period on your bill and anticipate three months from the last reading date.

Remember, it’s important that our meter readers have easy access to your meters on the date they are scheduled to come. Overgrown shrubbery can make a meter difficult to locate, while a locked gate or dog in the yard can make your meter completely inaccessible. These and other obstacles often mean that your bill must be estimated.

 If you have an inside meter, a device which allows our meter reader to obtain a reading from the outside can be installed at no additional charge. The new technology will insure you receive accurate billings and allow a problem to be detected in a timely manner. Please contact our office to schedule a morning or afternoon when you or any adult will be at the residence to admit our service man to install an outside reading device. If a weekday does not fit your schedule, Saturdays are available for your convenience. A Billing representative is available to discuss other options that best fit your schedule.

Like your car’s odometer, which records how many miles you have driven, your meters record how much consumption you have used. If, for some reason, we are unable to access your meter or extenuating circumstances such as severe weather prevent us from reading your meter, we will calculate your bill based on your history of usage. After the next actual reading, your bill will automatically be reconciled and adjusted if our estimate was too high or too low. In either case, you pay only for the services you have used.

To help reduce the possibility of your meters being estimated, please make sure that you provide easy access to all meters on the date that our meter reader is scheduled to visit. In the rare event that your meter readings have been estimated on consecutive quarters, please call us to discuss possible problems our meter readers are having in accessing your meter. This will allow you to identify the problem and schedule an actual reading.  

In special cases the LCDU allows the use of a sewer deduct meter to award credit to a sewer use bill metered water that is not discharged to the sanitary sewers, but is used for irrigation purposes. Residential customers are billed the minimum charge, therefore, do not qualify.

 See Rules and Regulations for Sewer Deduct – customer guidelines.

 If your sewer is serviced by a municipality other than LCDU, call a city representative for clarification: 

   – Wickliffe: 440-943-7100            – Eastlake: 440-951-1416  

   – Willowick: 440-585-3700           – Willoughby: 440-951-2800       

   – Willoughby Hills: 440-946-1234

If you are calling for service to be turned on/off due to moving or seasonal service, it is necessary to schedule an appointment 24 hours in advance. 10. The service line (on property side of the curb stop) and any internal plumbing are your responsibility to maintain. If you need to make a repair on the inside plumbing or fixture, you can turn the water off at your inside shut off valve.

Due to the volume of customers serviced by LCDU, there are a limited number of morning and afternoon appointments available.   To insure all appointments can be completed, we prefer appointments scheduled for all day. For your convenience, we do offer Saturday appointments and during the week a 15-30 minute call ahead. If we attempt to contact you at the number you provided and no one answers or you are not available, you will be required to reschedule your appointment.

The service line (on property side of the curb stop) and any internal plumbing are your responsibility to maintain. If you need to make a repair on the inside plumbing or fixture, you can turn the water off at your inside shut off valve.

The curb stop (located in the public right of way) and the water meter are maintained by and the property of LCDU.  Only LCDU personnel or duly authorized agents of the County are permitted to operate the curb stop/corporation stop or remove the cover from any curb box/meter box. 

A violation of this policy may result in a tampering fine of $100.00 being charged to your account. Therefore, if the water needs to be turned off/on at the street in order to make the repair, refer to one of the following:

 Non Emergency:  If the service needs to be turned off/on at the curb box or meter box at the street, contact the Billing Office and a representative will refer you to our service department.

Emergency during regular working hours: If you have a service line leak, call the Billing Office immediately and a billing representative will dispatch a service man to turn off your water.

Emergency after hours: If you have a service line leak and the Billing Office is closed, click HERE for the after hours contact number.

 If you’re replacing or repairing your service line, it may be necessary to obtain a permit and schedule an inspection. Please call our Engineering department at 440-350-2652, 440-918-2652 or 440-428-4348, Ext. 2652 to determine if a permit is required.

There could be a number of reasons for discolored or foul smelling water such as flushing, main breaks, old service line, etc.

 Action to take: Call the Billing Office to identify if a main break has occurred or other known system issues.   If there is no reported work being performed, the billing representative will direct you to run your cold water for 15 minutes. If the water doesn’t clear up in a couple of hours, call the Billing Office back and they will refer you to the water treatment plant.

 Note: It is important you do not run your hot water. This could adversely affect your hot water tank.

Flushing-  Generally, a notice is published in the newspaper to inform our customers of any scheduled flushing activities. It is important you do not run your washer during scheduled flushing times.

Have you have recently moved from another area?  Water pressure can vary between areas.   If you moved into your home or business recently, it’s possible your service was not turned on all the way.

Have any plumbing repairs been made recently? If the low pressure is isolated to one area of the house, check the aerator (screen) on your faucet to see if it is plugged. Have you identified if your neighbors are experiencing the same problem? 

Call the Billing office and a billing representative will identify if there are any system issues or schedule an appointment for you on the following day. A violation of this policy may result in a tampering fine of $100.00 being charged to your account. Therefore, if the water needs to be turned off/on at the street in order to make the repair, refer to one of the following:

 Non Emergency:  If the service needs to be turned off/on at the curb box or meter box at the street, contact the Billing Office and a representative will refer you to our service department.

Emergency during regular working hours: If you have a service line leak, call the Billing Office immediately and a billing representative will dispatch a service man to turn off your water.

Emergency after hours: If you have a service line leak and the Billing Office is closed, click here for the after hours contact number.

 If you find your consumption is high and you have an inside meter, here are some suggestions in determining if you have a possible leak:

    * When no water is being used, observe the meter. If you notice the dial is moving, you may need to check for leaks.

    * Write down the reading on your meter before you go to bed. If no water is used during the night, the meter reading should remain the same. If the reading is different you may need to check for leaks.

    * Check all toilets and faucets. Leaky toilets and faucets are the biggest cause of wasted water resulting in large water bills.

    * Leaky hot water faucets result in water and heat loss

If service is turned on for a potential new owner and a leak occurs on the property, the owner indicated on the title is responsible for the loss of water.  The owner can authorize service for the potential new owner, however, both the owner/potential new owner are equally responsible for the bill until the title transfers into the new owner’s name.

Both lessor and lessee shall be responsible and liable for the payment of the charges.  The County shall proceed to collect those charges from either the lessor or the lessee

Ask your landlord to call the Billing Office to request a water/sewer service agreement.  The landlord’s signature authorizes bills to be mailed directly to the tenant.

 For your protection, All LCDU employees wear photo I.D. badges.  Always ask for an employee’s I.D. before letting anyone in your home.  If you are still not sure, please call LCDU.

If a customer’s account balance is delinquent 90 days or more, the delinquent amount can be  transferred from the utility account and collected with the customer’s real property tax bill.

Sewer Rate Reduction: A reduced minimum charge is available for properties that are unoccupied for an extended period of time.  If  the water service has been terminated for a minimum of three months and confirmed by the water supplier, you may qualify for a reduced sewer rate.

 The owner of the premises must provide the County with a statement from the water supplier that the water service to the premises has been terminated for a period of not less than three (3) months. It is the responsibility of the owner to provide the County with a statement from the water supplier setting forth the dates of termination and restoration of water service to the premises, within one year of termination and each year thereafter until service is restored. In the event a property owner fails to notify the County of the restoration of water service, no reduction of sewer service charges shall be permitted.

In order to be exempt from sewer charges, the Sanitary Sewer connection must be cut and capped. If your water service area is not within the Lake County Service Area, click HERE for the MINIMUM SEWER CHARGE FORM and submit the form to your water supplier so you can receive the reduced sewer rate. 

Minimum Charge for Water Accounts for Unoccupied Property: 

There shall be no minimum charge for any property for which a LCDU representative has terminated the service. Depending on the billing period and when the service was terminated, you may receive a prorated billing based on either the number of days of service or consumption whichever is greater. 

There is no additional charge to have water service disconnected or restored during regular working hours.   Requests to have water service disconnected or restored outside of our regular working hours are subject to an additional charge as referenced in the current fee schedule. Call the billing office twenty-four (24) hours in advance to schedule an appointment.

It is an automatic method of paying your monthly water/sewer bill. It is similar to direct deposit of social security checks or payroll checks, except the APP pays your water/sewer bill by debiting your checking or savings account.  

The Lake County Department of Utilities does not offer a water or sewer discount for filling a pool. Some municipalities do offer discounts or credits for their managed utility; they are Eastlake, Willowick and Lakeline. Please contact these cities directly for more details on their discounts.

LCDU Provides this service free of charge.

 It is a convenient, easy way to pay your water/sewer bill without taking the time or trouble to write and record a personal check, find a envelope and stamp, and mail the payment. It is an automatic way to pay your bill when you are out of town.

Complete the Authorization Agreement Form. If bills are going to be paid out of your checking account, attach a voided check and mail completed form to:

                                             LAKE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF UTILITIES

                                          c/o Patricia Graham – APP

                                             P O Box 8005

                                             Painesville, OH 44077-8005

Continue to pay until notification is made on your bill and allow two billing periods before the APP becomes effective.

After you return the authorization form to LCDU and your banking information is confirmed accurate, you will be notified on your bill. The message on your bill will read:

“NOTICE: THIS BILL IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR RECORDS AND REQUIRES NO PAYMENT. A CHARGE OF (Amt due) WILL BE SENT TO YOUR BANK ON (The Due Date).”

No. Credit will be applied to water/sewer account on future billings. If you have a large credit that will take time to be absorbed through future billings, call a LCDU representative for a possible refund.

The message on your bill will read:

“NOTICE: THIS BILL IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR RECORDS AND REQUIRES NO PAYMENT. YOUR ACCOUNT HAS A CREDIT BALANCE. NO CHARGE WILL BE SENT TO YOUR BANK.”

Your water/sewer payment will be reflected as a separate item on your checking or savings account statement.

Call LCDU @ (440)350-2070, (440)918-2070 or (440)428-4348 ext 12070, no later than five days prior to the due date. A billing representative will assist you. Let the clerk know you are on the APP and would like to put a hold on the payment.

No “Final Bills”  will be considered in the APP. This will avoid problems that arise when a bank account has been closed prior to the due date or duplicate payments made by a Title Company or customer.

“Period End Bills”(no title transfer-service terminated temporarily) generated due to a customer discontinuing service for the winter period (seasonal) can continue the APP. Account will be reviewed in-house to determine if the APP should be continued.

 As long as your banking information stays the same, call one of the billing clerks to transfer this service.

If you have changed your banking information, call the billing department to inform of change forthcoming and mail a cancelled check to the LCDU Billing Department, Attention Patricia Graham.

As soon as you know that you will be changing or closing your account, contact LCDU billing department to inform of change. If changing banks, mail a cancelled check to the LCDU Billing Dept. to the Attention of Patricia Graham.

Yes, you have complete control with the APP. You can stop this service at any time by notifying LC Dept of Utilities.

The service for APP will be terminated effected the funds became insufficient. There will be a $25.00 Charge to the customer to absorb the additional expenses incurred by the department.