All of the functions of Fort Wayne City Utilities are funded by rates and fees that customers pay for the services City Utilities provides. Residents of the Fort Wayne area only support City Utilities if they are customers -- City Utilities does not receive any funding from property taxes.
Monthly rates and charges paid by water utility customers fund the operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of the drinking water distribution system, as well as the cost of treating drinking water and supplying water for fighting fires. Sewer utility customers pay for similar activities in the sewer system and for the treatment of sewage. The stormwater utility is funded by all properties inside the Fort Wayne City limits that have hard surfaces including roofs, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and other areas that do not soak in rainwater runoff.
Funds paid into each utility may only be used to offset costs or making investments in that utility. Water funds cannot be used for sewer projects, and vice-versa. Administrative departments such as Customer Relations are funded by a portion of revenue from each of the three utilities.
Rates are established by City Utilities (with the approval of the Board of Public Works and City Council) to generate only the amount of revenue needed to cover the expenses of each utility. The utilities do not make a profit. All revenue is used for maintenance, operating costs or utility system improvements. City Utilities does not have stockholders, so none of the utility revenue is paid out as dividends. All revenue is reinvested in the products and services supplied to customers. Although City Utilities does not pay taxes, approximately $9 million dollars per year is paid to the City of Fort Wayne as a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT).
High Utility Bill Checklist
Have you received a City Utilities bill that was higher than you expected? If your bill from City Utilities goes up significantly, it could mean that you have a plumbing leak, that there is a problem with your water meter or it may just be that you have been using more water than you typically do. Use this checklist from City Utilities to help pinpoint the cause of the increase.
Water Main Investment
City Utilities is moving forward with efforts to replace 70 miles of water mains over the next five years.