The City of Walnut provides water and sewer utility services. We bill monthly for these services and garbage collection. Your bill is mailed the last working day of the month and is due by the 15th of each month. A penalty of 10% of the water amount is added after the 15th. Payments can be made by mailing them to P.O. Box 326, Walnut, IA 51577, stopping at City Hall and pay in person, or you can drop it in the box located to the left of City Hall's door.

Deposit: A deposit intended to guarantee payment of bills is required for service connection, unless the applicant meets the credit criteria of a previous prompt payment record with the City of Walnut.

Disconnection of Service Notice: A reminder notice, as required by the Iowa Utilities Board, will be mailed after the 15th of each month, to notify you that your bill is delinquent and that you have 10 more days before disconnection of service. After 10 days your premises will be posted with a disconnect notice. This disconnect notice allows you until 1:00 p.m. the following day to make payment and/or arrangements for payment or you will be disconnected. If disconnection does occur, you must pay all accounts in full, plus a $10.00 reconnect fee.

Calculating Water Use:  The City of Walnut visits your property and records usage on your water meter every month, usually around the 15th of each month.  In unusual circumstances, during a snow storm, for example, usage for the month may be estimated.  Estimates are based on the average of your previous two months usage.  Your bill will indicate that your meter reading was estimated.  Your estimated usage is deducted from the actual usage of your next billing and you are only billed for the difference.

How is My Meter Read?  Your meter is read once a month by a City of Walnut employee using a handheld electronic reader.  A touchpad connected to your indoor water meter has been installed on the outside of your house.  When the handheld electronic reader touches the touchpad, your water usage downloads into the handheld reader.  The handheld reader measures use in even hundred gallon increments.  Therefore, if your inside meter reads 9,095 gallons, the handheld reading from the outside will be 9,000.  The additional 95 gallons will be billed when your water consumption reaches the next hundred gallons or, in this example, 9,100 gallons.  Estimating is only used in exceptional circumstances.  We appreciate your help in keeping a clear path to your touchpad and keeping the touchpad clearly visible. 

Troubleshooting High Water Use:  Your meter has a leak indicator which will tell you if water is going through your meter.  When you know there is no water being used, please check this indicator (small read dial) to make sure it is not moving.  If the indicator is moving, water is going through your meter somewhere on the property.  It is the responsibility of the property owner or tenant to determine where the water is being used.  Some of the more common problems are:

• A leaking toilet.  (Simple test:  Place food coloring in the tank and let sit for 10 minutes.  If color comes into the bowl, your toilet is leaking.)
• A leaking hot water heater.
• A faulty water softener.
• A hose that has been left on.
• An outside hose bib that is leaking.
• An undetected broken pipe in a crawl space.

Disconnecting Water Service While You are on Vacation:  If you are leaving home for a few days, it is always a good idea to turn the water valve in your basement to stop water from entering your home.  Your water valve should be located somewhere near your water meter.  If you are leaving home for an extended period of time, you can contact City Hall and have your water disconnected at the curbstop.  There is a $10.00 reconnection fee for this service.  If your water service is shut off for a month or more, please contact City Hall. 

Questions?  We are interested in your questions or comments about City of Walnut services.  Please email your questions or comments to [email protected] and a member of our staff will respond to you by email or phone as quickly as possible.  You may also call Shannon Wood or Fran Petersen at City Hall at 712-784-3443.  You can reach Jim Blum on his cell phone at 712-249-4786 or Robb Akers on his cell phone at 712-249-8031.

Water Rates:

First 1,000 gallons used or minimum charge - $13.50

Next 1,000 gallons used - $6.40

All over 2,000 gallons is - $3.50 per 1,000 gallons

Meter Maintenance fee (Meter Rent on your bill) - $6.00 per month

Click here for the 2018 Water Quality Report.

Click here for a map of the City's Water Mains.

Sewer Rates:

Minimum charge - $10.00 + $1.00 per 1,000 gallons of water used over the first 1,000 gallons.

Water & Sewer Lines: All water and sewer service lines, the lines from the house to the City's main, are the property and responsibility of the property owner, subject to inspection by the City. If you have a water or sewer problem, please report it to City Hall at 784-3443.

Other Utilities:     MidAmerican Energy - Gas and Electric - 888-427-5632

                              Walnut Communications - Telephone, Cable and Internet - 712-784-2211