The City of Hillsboro Utility Bill includes charges and fees for sanitary sewer, surface water management (SWM), transportation, and water services provided by the City and Clean Water Services.  Customers residing in the designated South Hillsboro area are also charged a Community Service Fee for park development. The Utility Bill includes fixed and use charges. 

The following are the list of charges and how they are calculated on a typical residential utility bill:

• Sanitary Sewer Fixed Charge – fee is calculated on number of equivalent dwelling units (EDU).  Most residential customers are assigned 1 EDU. The number of EDU is multiplied by the rate per EDU. 
• Sanitary Sewer Use Charge – fee is calculated on sewer use average. A typical residential customer has a sewer use average of 8 ccf (100 cubic feet) per month. Sewer use is multiplied by sewer use rate per ccf.
• Sanitary Sewer Local Service Fee - fee is calculated on number of equivalent dwelling units (EDU).  Most residential customers are assigned 1 EDU. The number of EDU is multiplied by rate per EDU. 
• Surface Water Management Fixed Charge - fee is calculated on number of equivalent service units (ESU).  Most residential customers are assigned 1 ESU. The number of ESU is multiplied by rate per ESU. 
• Surface Water Management Local Service Fee - fee is calculated on number of equivalent service units (ESU).  Most residential customers are assigned 1 ESU. The number of ESU is multiplied by rate per ESU. 
• Transportation Utility Fee – this fee is based on number of roadway trips generated by a property.  For residential customers, the amount of trips is the same for each dwelling unit and the fee is a flat rate per dwelling unit. 
• Water Fixed Charge - fee is calculated on the size of meter serving the property.  Most residential customers have a 5/8 inch meter. Charge is based on meter size.
• Water Use Charge – this fee is based on the actual water use registered by the water meter each month. Water use is measured in 100 cubic feet (ccf). One ccf equals about 748 gallons.  A typical residential customer uses 8 ccf of water per month.  The water use is multiplied by the water use rate. 
• Community Service Fee – the fee is a flat fee and is only charged to customers residing in the designated South Hillsboro area. The fee was created to help fund park development and construction in the South Hillsboro area. 

Please go to the Rates section above to see current utility rates. 

Unlike water use, sewer use is not metered.  Sewer use is calculated by averaging the customer’s water use during the winter months of November through April.  This is known as winter water averaging (WWA).  The sewer WWA is updated annually in July/August and is based on the previous winter’s water use.  

A new residential customer with no water history is assigned the system average of 8 ccf (one hundred cubic feet).  The 8 ccf is multiplied by the sewer use fee per ccf. 

Please go to the Rates section above to see current utility rates. 

The City of Hillsboro does not collect personal identifying information such as driver’s license or social security numbers.  Nor does the City do credit checks. However, the City does require documentation that the person that will be on the utility billing account has a right to reside at the property and have an account in their name. 

Owner Documentation:

In order to set-up a new account with City of Hillsboro, proof of ownership documentation needs to be provided.  This can include a settlement statement from the closing documents, a title or a deed. If you haven’t closed yet, we will accept a closing disclosure or an offer acceptance. Document needs to have closing date.  Please remove any personal or financial information from documents before submitting. 

Renter Documentation:

In order to set-up a new account with City of Hillsboro, a copy of your lease or rental agreement needs to be provided.  Please do not send entire lease/rental agreement. Please only provide the pages that shows names of the renter(s), date of move in, phone number, email address and address of residency, and signature page which must have property owner signature. Please remove any personal or financial information from documents before submitting. 

If there is no written agreement, we can accept a letter or email from the property owner with the above information or we can try to make contact with the owner by phone.  Please note that the account will not be set up and service will not be provided until we receive a copy of the lease/rental agreement, letter or email.

The information can be sent to ub@hillsboro-oregon.gov, faxed to 503-681-6213, or brought into our office at 150 E Main St, 1^st floor of the Civic Center.

Customers can reset their own passwords by using the ‘Forgot Password’ function on the login screen for Customer Portal, Payment Forms, and Online Store. These options all use the same login credentials.

Water meters are placed in the ground, usually at the edge of the lawn, near a sidewalk or the street. Most people are not aware of the fact that the water meter is located within the utility easement of their property. When landscaping or fencing your yard, know where your water meter is and keep any landscaping a safe distance from the meter box. 

• Your meter should be kept clear of shrubbery, trees and low growing bushes. 
• When planting trees keep in mind that tree roots can become entangled around the underground pipes increasing the possibility of pipes breaking which can result in water leaks that could go undetected for some time. 
• Shrubbery can become bushy and hinder the ability of the City meter reader to read your meter. 
• Customers who already have established landscaping are encouraged to trim their plants to allow clear access to the meter box. 

Please call the City Water Department at 503-615-6732 to find out the location of your meter box and where the City-owned water lines are prior to digging. 

Your water meter is the best way to check how much water your household is using and to also help you detect any water leaks. Locate your meter box and look at the meter dial, read the numbers on the dial from left to right (similar to reading an odometer). The meter also has numbers around the dial, like a clock, but you do not need to "read" any of those numbers. In addition, the meter has what is referred to as a "sweep hand" that rotates when water is being used. How fast the "sweep hand" rotates is how much water is being used at that point in time. After reading the number on your meter, simply subtract the last reading listed on your most current utility bill statement from the current reading on your meter.

Water use is measured in 100 cubic feet (1 ccf).  1 ccf equals about 748 gallons.  A typical residential customer uses 8 ccf of water each month. 

Reading your water meter is the best way to determine if you have a water leak. Calculate how much water you have used since your last meter by manually reading the numbers on your meter. Subtract the last reading listed on your most current utility bill statement from the current reading on your meter. Compare this reading to previous bills to determine if the current reading on your utility bill is consistent with prior readings. You will have to factor in the time period covered by your most current reading. The reading from your bill typically covers a 30-day period. Unusually high readings that are not consistent with any previous water usage history or reflective of current water use are usually indicative of a water leak.

Example: Look at your most recent bill, the reading labeled "Present" will now be the previous read. Let's say that reading was 3906. Take the current reading from your meter, let's say it is 3918. Subtract the 3906 from the 3918. The amount of water used since your last reading is 12 (3918 - 3906) hundred cubic feet (ccf) or 12 units of water used or 8,976 gallons (12 x 748 - there are 748 gallons in 1-unit of water). Compare the 12ccf to readings from previous bills.

Other ways to detect water leaks include:

• To detect a silent toilet leak, put several drops of food coloring in your tank. Don't flush for 10 minutes. If the color appears in the bowl, there is a leak.
• Look at your meter. Most meters have a colored 'telltale' indicator. If you see the indicator moving when the water is turned off, you probably have a leak.
• If your meter does not have a telltale indicator, note the position of the "sweep hand" and the numbers. Wait 30 minutes without using any water, then look again. If either the "sweep hand" or the numbers have moved, then you probably have a leak.

If you think you have a leak, please contact Utility Billing at 503-681-6163.

The City has a leak adjustment program for single family residential customers only. 

• City of Hillsboro Credit for Leak Adjustment Practices and Procedures.
• City of Hillsboro Credit for Leak Adjustment Request

Please contact Utility Billing at 503-681-6163 for more information.