The Urbandale Water Utility has compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions for the convenience of its customers. If the answer to your question is not listed, please contact the Urbandale Water Utility at 515-278-3940.
If your water bill says ‘estimated’ the automated reading device attached to your water meter is not working and the Urbandale Water Utility has estimated your water usage. Please contact our office at 515-278-3940 to schedule an appointment for repair.
An increase in your monthly statement could be an indication of a water leak within your home. Even a small water leak can have a large impact on your monthly statement. The Urbandale Water Utility offers the following suggestions for checking for leaks within your home.
Look for visible leaks in the plumbing system such as faucet drips, valve leaks, and pipe or joint leaks.
Check toilets for possible leaks. Toilet leaks are not always visible or even heard. A leaking toilet is one of the most common household leaks. An easy method to check for a leak in a toilet is a dye test. Place a few drops of food coloring (or anything that will turn the water a color) into the tank. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes without flushing and then check the bowl of the toilet. If the food coloring has colored the water in the bowl of the toilet, the toilet is leaking. Also, look inside the tank to check the overflow pipe to ensure water isn’t draining or running continuously.
If you have a humidifier on your furnace or a water softener, please check to make sure that it is operating properly and not allowing water to run continuously.
If you have tried these suggestions and still cannot find anything that would be the cause of an increased statement, please contact the Urbandale Water Utility at 515-278-3940. The Urbandale Water Utility is pleased to offer residential customers assistance in checking for leaks within their homes.
The Urbandale Water Utility offers e-statements to its customers. More information regarding that service may be found here.
Charge-Smart is a web-based bill payment service. The Urbandale Water Utility is not affiliated with Charge-Smart. The Urbandale Water Utility offers a variety of convenient payment methods to its customers. Those methods may be viewed here. To make a payment through the Urbandale Water Utility’s website, please click here.
A shut off valve (stop box) controls the flow of the water from the water main to a property. The stop box is the responsibility of the property owner as it was purchased with the purchase of the property. If the stop box is raised, the Urbandale Water Utility can attempt to adjust it as a courtesy. If the Urbandale Water Utility is unable to do so, the property owner will need to contact a plumber. To request this service, please contact our office at 515-278-3940.
Please contact the Urbandale Water Utility at 515-278-3940. If the Urbandale Water Utility is closed, you will be directed to an after-hours technician.
The Urbandale Water Utility occasionally receives customer comments regarding cloudy water. Causes of cloudy water and other helpful information can be found by clicking the link below.
The Urbandale Water Utility can replace a missing cap to a customer’s stop box. The customer will be billed for the cost of the cap. The cap helps protects the stop box from damage and can prevent costly repairs for the customer. To request this service, please contact the Urbandale Water Utility at 515-278-3940.
Over the past few years there have been several mailings to customers of the Urbandale Water Utility promoting a water service line maintenance plan. The service maintenance agreements are not endorsed by the Urbandale Water Utility. Service agreements are not affiliated with the Urbandale Water Utility in any way and if the customer wishes to enter into a contract with the maintenance service provider, the agreement is between the service provider and the individual property owner. Property owners own the water service line from the public water main in to where the line connects with the water meter located inside the home. This includes the stop box, the service line and any attachments to the service line. Some of the service plans do not include parts of the water service line that the Urbandale Water Utility views as most likely to experience failure.
An Urbandale Water Utility service technician will be wearing either a shirt, jacket or a hat with the Urbandale Water Utility located on it and will be driving a blue service truck with the Urbandale Water Utility logo on the doors. All Urbandale Water Utility service technicians have an official identification badge that he or she is happy to show to customers upon request. If you still have questions or concerns regarding a service technician, please contact the Urbandale Water Utility at 515-278-3940.
Residents planning an extended absence have many options available to them. Please notify the Urbandale Water Utility of the planned absence. For residents that want to leave water service connected, the Urbandale Water Utility suggests turning the water off at the meter using the shut off valves on either side of the water meter. For residents that want water service turned off at the street, the resident will need to contact the Urbandale Water Utility to schedule an appointment to meet a water utility service technician at the property to ensure the water is off. If water is physically turned off at the street, residents will not receive a monthly statement. When the resident is ready for water service to be reconnected, the resident will need to contact the Urbandale Water Utility to schedule an appointment to meet a service technician at the home to reconnect the water service. Standard reconnection fees apply. Please be aware that if the stop box is inoperable or breaks during operation the resident is responsible for repair. The Urbandale Water Utility suggests that if the water is off for an extended period of time the hot water heater should also be turned off to prevent damage to the hot water heater.
Please visit the Backflow Prevention section of our website for more information.
The Urbandale Water Utility purchases all of its water directly from Des Moines Water Works. Specific questions, such as water hardness, may be directed to the Des Moines Water Works Lab at 515-283-8761.
If you or someone in your area will be doing any kind of digging (installing a fence, landscaping,etc), Iowa law requires underground utilities be located prior to digging. The Urbandale Water Utility uses blue spray paint and flags to mark water mains and valves, service lines, and stop boxes. To schedule a locate, please contact Iowa One Call.
Residents with questions or concerns regarding trash services may contact the City of Urbandale directly at 515-278-3950 or by visiting the City of Urbandale’s website at http://www.urbandale.org/354/Utilities. The Urbandale Water Utility is only a billing agent for the City of Urbandale.