Billing
Utility Billing (water and sewer service) is completed by the Finance Department staff. If you have any questions about your bill, please contact billing department by phone at 517-543-8841 or email mdensmore@charlottemi.org. Billing is made quarterly for both residential and commercial/industrial customers and includes a basic user charge based on the meter size servicing the property. Utility bills are mailed quarterly on the 1st of the month and due on the last day of the month.
Emailed billing is available by request, click here to complete the request form.
Your billing cycle is determined by your property location. Your quarterly bill will be based on usage from the prior three months. The billing cycles are as follows:
Cycle 1 receives bills months of:
January-April-July-October
Cycle 2 receives bills months of:
February-May-August-November
Cycle 3 receives bills months of:
March-June-September-December
Payments
You can pay your Utility Bill in a variety of ways: in-person; drop-boxes; or online by credit card or e-check.
Online Option: You can pay your water/sewer bill online using your credit/debit card or e-check. Utility bill information and link for payment can be found at www.bsaonline.com Please note, an enhanced access fee (convenience fee) will be added when using this payment option. Credit Cards: 3.00% (minimum 2.00) and Electronic Checks (ACH): $2.50 flat fee up to $10,000, $10.00 over $10,000.
Automatic Debit Option:To have your Utility Bill payments automatically deducted from your checking or savings account on the bill’s due date complete and submit an ACH-Debit-Fillable-Form
Mail Option: Utility Bills can be mailed to:
City of Charlotte, Attn: Utility Billing, 111 E. Lawrence Ave, Charlotte, MI 48813
Drop Box Option:Utility bills may be dropped off in one of two drop boxes. A walk-up drop box is located on the first floor of the City Hall between the glass doors of the Lawrence Ave entrance. A drive-up “Green” drop box is located behind City Hall on the corner of Washington Street and Harris Street. Please only submit check or money order payments via drop box.
In Person Option:Utility bills may be paid at the General Office counter located on the first floor of City Hall during our customer service hours of 9a – 1p and 2p – 4p, Monday through Friday. We accept cash, check or money order, or credit/debit cards in-person.
Service Activation/Termination
To activate or terminate City of Charlotte Utility Services (water and sewer) call the Utility Billing Department at 517-543-8841 or email mdensmore@charlottemi.org. In order to provide enough time for City Staff to obtain a final water meter reading, please contact us at least one week prior to your move-in/move-out date. If activating service, be sure to inquire about the Automatic Billing Payment program.
Water Leaks
It’s Only a Small Drip…Right? 
Slow drips of water can add up quickly. A toilet that “keeps running” after you flush or a sink that drips after it is turned off can waste thousands of gallons of water a year. Fix leaks as soon as you find them!
A “Running” Toilet Leak
Toilet leaks can range from small to large, constant or random. Many are even silent. Even a small, silent leak can easily waste $50 per year in water and sewer costs. Large leaks can waste much more. Fortunately, most toilet leaks are relatively easy to fix. In a properly functioning toilet, no water should move from the tank to the bowl, unless the toilet is being flushed. A leaking toilet loses water from the tank to the bowl without being flushed.
Checking for a leaky toilet:
- Remove the tank lid
- Put 5-10 drops of food coloring in the toilet TANK.
- Put the tank lid back on but don’t flush it
- After 45 minutes, check the toilet BOWL. If you see colored water, you have a leak.
The most likely culprit is the flapper valve, the rubber thing in the bottom of the tank that keeps water in the tank.
For a video on how to check for a leaky toilet click on the link below:
