The City provides dye tablets to put into your toilet tank free of charge.  If after 30 minutes any color seeps into the toilet bowl, then the toilet is running. A running toilet can double, or even triple a bill!

If your water pressure seems low, contact the DPW Water Department at 248-546-2514 to see if work is being performed in your area. You may also contact Water Department Billing at 248-546-2374 to see if your service has been impacted or discontinued due to nonpayment.

Pipes can freeze due to a sudden drop in temperature, poor insulation, or thermostats set too low. Both plastic and copper pipes can burst, and recovering from frozen pipes is not as simple as calling a plumber. According to AAA, a 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day, causing flooding, serious structural damage, and the potential for mold.

If your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house. Leave the water faucets turned on. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shutoff valve is and how to open and close it.

Here are some tips to protect your pipes ahead of time:

• Seal leaks around pipes that allow cold air inside. Look for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents, and pipes; use caulk or insulation to keep the cold out.
• Disconnect garden hoses. If possible, use an indoor valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets. This reduces the chance of freezing in pipes just inside the house.
• If a deep freeze is expected, let warm water drip overnight, preferably from a faucet on an outside wall. Just a trickle may keep your pipes from freezing.
• Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature day and night. You might be in the habit of turning down the heat when you're asleep, but further temperature drops—more common overnight—could catch you off guard and freeze your pipes.
• Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to uninsulated pipes under sinks and to appliances near exterior walls.

The property is responsible for maintenance on any pipe leading from the stop into the property as well as any piping inside the structure.

The City is responsible for the stop box at the street and the water meter inside the home or business. The curb stop box refers to the enclosure which houses the actual valve that provides water service to residences and businesses on the adjacent street. 

Yes. As the landlord, you must call 248-546-2374 and permit the tenant to sign for the water service. Tenants may register for water service online by completing an online registration form.

Yes. If you are moving from your current property address, the best and fastest way to request your final bill is by using our online seamless form. 

You can also receive a final bill by calling the Water Department at 248-546-2374 or stopping into the office, 300 E. Nine Mile Road, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. 

A 10% penalty is charged two days after the due date stated on the billing invoice.

Yes. The repayment plan is meant for customers who have had difficulty keeping their water accounts current, and who carry an outstanding balance.

To participate:

• Customers must make monthly payments towards the outstanding prior balance on their water bills. Staff can assist you in determining an appropriate monthly amount to ensure that you will be paid in full at the end of your repayment period.
• Customers must remain current with any new or future water charges.  Any new charges for water or other services must be paid by the due date as noted on the bill.
• The late payment penalty of 10% will continue to be applied to the current charges each quarter. However, if the new charges are paid by the due date, the 10% penalty will be restored as a credit to the account at the end of the repayment period when the account is otherwise paid in full.
• Customers who bring their accounts current by December 31, 2013, are eligible to have any $50 penalty fees assessed between October 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013, restored as credits to their water bill account.
• In order to receive the credits to their account for the 10% late payment fee and $50 penalty, the customer must contact the Water Department to confirm the final repayment amount.  Once confirmed, the customer must request credit for the 10% and $50 be issued on their water service account.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your participation in this repayment plan, you may email the Water Department or call at 248-546-2374.

Residents and businesses are billed quarterly. If the first digit of your account number is:

• One: Bills will be due on the 5th of March, June, September, and December
• Two: Bills will be due on the 5th of April, July, October, and January
• Three: Bills will be due on the 5th of February, May, August, and November

Industrial properties are billed monthly.

Log in to your account to view water history, pay your bill, manage your information, and more. 

Or, learn about our other payment options.

The “Readiness to Serve Charge” (RTS) is a common fee assessed by municipal utilities to cover basic fixed costs associated with providing on-demand water service throughout the system.  RTS is specifically allocated to cover a percentage of the costs of maintaining and operating your water system even when no water is being used. 

This is a system-wide connection charge that applies even if you used no water during the billing period. It is called Readiness To Serve because your property is connected to the water system and Ferndale's Water Department is ready to provide clean water and treat wastewater to your property at any time.  There are certain fixed costs to providing water to the community regardless of water consumption, for example paying for staff time, facilities, water pumps, fleet service vehicles, water testing, etc.

In previous years, charges for water and sewer consumption on your bill were allocated identically: (50% water / 50% sewer). However, the actual cost of providing water is significantly less than the cost of treating water.

As a result, the City has adjusted how water rates are allocated on a water bill to more accurately calculate the cost of providing the different services. Beginning July 1, 2021, charges for water and sewer consumption on your bill are allocated at 61% sewer, 39% water, and a flat $29 readiness to serve fee. The rate is currently $11.68 per unit (100 cubic feet).

For example, if your total water bill was $200, your water & sewer costs would be allocated as such:

Sewer Fees:      $104.31 (61% of total water bill costs)

Water Fees:       $66.69 (39% of total water bill costs)

RTS Fee:            $29.00

Total:                 $200.00 (100% of total water bill costs)

Contact our Water Department in person, by email, or by phone at:

City of Ferndale Water Billing
300 E. 9 Mile Rd.  
Ferndale, MI 48220

Email: waterbilling@ferndalemi.gov

Phone: 248-546-2374

Please click here for our current hours of operation.