Utility Billing

If you need copies of past billing statements for your City water and wastewater service, please call the Utility Billing department at (406) 447-8450.

Be sure to have your account number or service address available when you call. 

• Contact the Utility Customer Service office at 447-8450 at least two business days prior to taking legal possession to set up your new service for water and wastewater. This will allow our office time to obtain a final reading from the water meter to transfer service from the contractor to you.
  • The information that we require is:
    • Service address
    • Contractor’s name
    • Closing date
    • Title company handling the closing.
• Water and wastewater services are billed to the landowner on a monthly basis. Water meters are read once a month and we bill a month behind. Water is billed on your actual usage. Residential wastewater is calculated from your October read through your May read of each year and updated with your July bill. Commercial wastewater is calculated on the actual usage.

• Property Owner Information:

Pursuant to city ordinance, all water bills must remain in the name of the owner of the property. However, if you wish to have your tenants pay their own water and sewer, you can sign a Rental Authorization Form, authorizing us to add the tenant’s name after yours for billing purposes:

Example:

John Doe (owner)
% Joe Snow (tenant)
Street Address
City, State Zip

To provide your tenants with accurate billing, it is important for you to call us at least two business days prior to either getting a new tenant or having a tenant move out. We can manually calculate their bill if you want them to pay immediately or we can bill them if you have a forwarding address. Please be aware that the owner is still responsible for the bill should the tenant skip out. The owner will receive a copy of any delinquent notices sent out and can also elect to receive duplicate copies of each monthly statement at no additional charge. The Rental Authorization form can be hand delivered, mailed or faxed to us. This cannot be completed over the phone. A new authorization form is required for each new tenant.

• Tenants:

If the owner of the property asks that you pay the water bills, please request that they complete a Rental Authorization form which allows us to add your name to the bill. This is not something that you can take care of for them. You may request a meter read on the day you move in and out to ensure accurate billing.

• Property Managers:

If you are hired to manage a rental property, the owner of the property must complete a Property Manager Authorization form. This form gives you permission to request address changes, inquire, make payments, and complete Rental Authorizations on the owner’s behalf.

• Once your home is completed and you are ready to move in, you will need to come to the City of Helena Transfer Station at 1975 N. Benton Avenue to complete a simple form and pay for your container (the Transfer Station only accepts credit/debit cards or check). The fee is prorated through June 30th of each fiscal year.
• Please bring closing papers and a form of identification verifying you are the legal owner of the property. Once paid, you will be issued a residential permit which allows you to haul items to the transfer station, and our office will issue a request for your container to be delivered to your residence. Please allow 3-5 business days for container delivery.
• After your first year of service, the garbage fee will be added to your property tax bill annually. The current fee for residential solid waste service is $194.10 per year.
• Each unit is given a permit to self-haul bulk waste to the Transfer Station. Each unit is allowed 1.5 tons (3000 lbs) per fiscal year (July 1st - June 30th). If you have reached/exceeded the 1.5 tons (3000 lbs), those overages are billed directly to you at the Transfer Station at time of disposal. Current tipping rate of $54.75 per ton applies to all disposal or recycling.
• Loads brought in containing only acceptable recyclable material do not count towards the 1.5 tons (3000 lbs) limit and are not subject to additional transfer station charges.
• Replacement of residential permits are $5.00.
• To inquire what day your garbage will be picked up you may call the City of Helena Transfer Station at 447-8086.

The City of Helena offers commercial route pickup, roll off containers, and tipping options to local businesses. To start or cancel service, you must contact the transfer station directly at 447-8068. Garbage service does not follow from owner to owner. Owners must establish their own service. The charges for sanitation are billed through Utility Customer Services.