When you move to Plantation, your water and sewer service is provided directly by the City — not a private utility company. That's actually a good thing. The water is well-managed, and once your account is set up, dealing with it is straightforward. But getting it set up is where a lot of new residents get caught off-guard.

I was one of them. I assumed I could handle it online or over the phone, the way you do with every other utility. I had the address, I had a credit card, I was ready. What I wasn't ready for was finding out that opening a new utility account in Plantation requires you to show up — in person — at City Hall, with a specific set of documents and a check.

"Wait, I have to go where? In person?" That was my exact reaction. Welcome to Plantation.

I'm writing this so the next person moving in doesn't spend an afternoon figuring out what I had to piece together from multiple pages of the city website. Everything below is accurate as of 2026, sourced directly from the City of Plantation Utilities Department.

Step One: Call Before You Show Up

Before you go anywhere, call the Utilities Customer Service line at (954) 797-2290. This matters for two reasons. First, you need to confirm what services are actually connected to your property — some addresses in Plantation have both water and sewer service; others have water only. Second, your deposit amount depends on the size of the meter at your property, and you'll need that number before you can prepare your payment.

Dad's tip Make this call on a weekday between 8am and 4pm. That's when the department is open. Don't show up without knowing your deposit amount — you'll either be underprepared or making a second trip.

What It's Going to Cost Upfront

Opening an account isn't free. Every new account requires a $45 non-refundable application fee, plus a deposit that stays on the account until you close it. The deposit is based on your meter size. For most residential properties, that's a ¾" meter.

Meter Size Water + Sewer Total Water Only Total
¾" (most homes) $190 $95
1" $406 $169
1½" $767 $1,015
2" $1,200 $1,597

The application fee is on top of the deposit. So for a standard residential home with water and sewer on a ¾" meter, you're looking at $235 due at account opening ($190 deposit + $45 fee). Have that ready before you go.

Payment method matters When opening an account in person, you can only pay by cash, check, or money order. Credit cards are not accepted for the initial setup at the window. If you submit an application online, you still need to mail a check for the deposit within two weeks.

What to Bring

The documents required depend on whether you're an owner or a tenant.

If you own the property

You need the completed Application for Utility Service (available on the city website or at City Hall) and a signed and notarized agreement. That's it — but the notarization is not optional. Don't show up without it.

If you're renting

Tenants need more: the application, the signed and notarized agreement, a current photo ID, a copy of your signed lease showing the service address and lease terms, and a notarized Acknowledgement of Right to Occupancy (ARO) form. The ARO form is also available on the city's website. Both the agreement and the ARO need to be notarized before you arrive.

Where to Go and When

New accounts are opened at City Hall, located at 400 NW 73rd Avenue, Plantation, FL 33317. The Utilities Department is open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm, excluding city holidays.

There's an important timing detail here: if your payment is processed before 3:00pm, your water connection will happen the same day, up until 11:00pm. If you pay between 3:00pm and 4:00pm, the connection happens on the next business day. Plan your move-in day accordingly — if you need water on a specific day, get there in the morning.

Utilities Department — Quick Reference

Once You're Set Up: Understanding Your Bill

Your City of Plantation utility bill arrives monthly and covers water and sewer. The meter is read on an approximately 30-day cycle. The bill itself has two components: a base charge and a consumption charge.

The base charge is a fixed monthly minimum based on your meter size — you pay it whether you use water or not. The consumption charge is based on how much water you actually used. Your bill will show a usage number; multiply that by 1,000 to get the gallons used. Current rates for FY 2025/26 are posted as a PDF on the city's utility billing page.

Bills are due 21 days from the billing date, which is printed on the bill. If payment isn't posted by the due date, a disconnection notice will appear on your next bill. Accounts that are 30 or more days past due are subject to disconnection.

Reinstating service after disconnection If your service gets cut, you'll need to pay the past-due balance in person at City Hall — cash, money order, or credit card — by 3:00pm for same-day reinstatement. An additional deposit may also be required. Online payments create a delay and may not get your water back the same day. Don't rely on them if you're in that situation.

How to Pay Going Forward

Once your account is open, you have several options for paying each month.

Online is the easiest for routine payments. The city uses Paymentus. There's a $2.40 convenience fee per bank account transaction, or $2.40 per $300 increment if you pay by credit card. It's not a lot, but it adds up over time if you pay monthly by card. Allow up to two business days for the payment to post.

By mail, send your check to: City of Plantation Utility Billing Dept., P.O. Box 31132, Tampa, FL 33631-3132. Note the PO Box is in Tampa — that's the payment processing center, not a local address.

By drop box if you want to avoid the fee and don't want to mail it. There are four drop box locations around the city:

  • City Hall — 400 NW 73rd Avenue
  • Central Park Multipurpose Center — 9151 NW 2nd Street
  • Jim Ward Community Center — 301 NW 46th Avenue
  • Volunteer Park — 12050 W. Sunrise Boulevard

You can also set up Automatic Funds Transfer (ACT) through the city to have your bill paid directly from your bank account each month without a convenience fee. That's the move if you hate thinking about this stuff.

One More Thing: the Pool Fill Credit

If you fill a pool or have a significant one-time water event that drives your bill up, the City of Plantation has a Pool Fill Sewer Credit program. Since water used to fill a pool doesn't go into the sewer system, you may be eligible for a credit on your sewer charges. There's a separate application for it on the city's utilities page. Worth knowing about if you're moving into a home with a pool.

Similarly, if you suspect a leak has inflated your bill, there's a Leak Credit program as well. You'll need to show that the leak was repaired, but it can save you money if your meter was running during a plumbing issue you weren't aware of.

One Thing I Think About Every Time I Travel

This isn't about your bill — but it belongs here because it's the kind of thing you only think about once you're living in a house and responsible for it. Every time I travel for more than a long weekend, I get nervous. Before I leave, I walk to the main water shutoff valve and close it. I don't do it for short trips, but anything longer than a few days and I'm not comfortable leaving the water running through the whole house unattended.

It's not irrational. A burst pipe or a failed supply line in South Florida — with the heat and humidity — can do tens of thousands of dollars in damage in the time it takes you to get home from a flight. So I shut the valve manually, every time.

I've had my eye on this product for a while. Never pulled the trigger because of the price, but it's in my pipeline:

Moen Flo Smart Water Shutoff

Moen Flo Smart Water Shutoff

Installs on your main water line and monitors flow 24/7. It can detect slow leaks, abnormal usage patterns, and burst pipe conditions — and shut off the water automatically when it does. You can also trigger it remotely from your phone, which is the part I actually want. Going on a trip? Kill the water from the airport.

I haven't bought one yet. The price tag has kept me off it — this isn't a $30 impulse buy. But every time I travel and manually close that valve, I think about it again. If you have a larger home, a second property, or just travel often, the math probably starts making sense. It's also likely to reduce your homeowner's insurance premium, which is worth asking your insurer about before you buy.

Around $350–$500 depending on pipe size and retailer.

View on Amazon

If you've installed one of these — or a competing product — I'd genuinely like to hear how it's held up. Drop a note in the comments.

When You Move Out: Don't Leave the Deposit Behind

This one catches people off guard on the way out. When you close your account, the city will apply your deposit to any remaining balance — and refund the rest. But it doesn't happen automatically unless you ask. Contact the Utilities Department to formally close the account and request the deposit return. If you just stop paying and walk away, you won't see that money again.

Dad's tip When you close the account, make sure the final bill is settled first. Any outstanding balance comes out of the deposit before they refund you. If you're a tenant, confirm whether the deposit was in your name or the owner's — tenants who set up their own accounts are entitled to their own deposit back.

The Short Version

Moving to Plantation means dealing with the city directly for your water and sewer. The service is reliable and the billing is clear — once you're set up. The setup itself requires an in-person visit, notarized documents, a non-refundable $45 fee, and a deposit that for most houses runs around $190. Call ahead, bring the right paperwork, get there before 3pm if you need water that day, and you'll be fine.

Took me longer than it should have to figure that out. Now it doesn't have to take you as long.

Official City of Plantation References

Everything in this article is sourced from the City of Plantation Utilities Department. If you want to dig into the details or download forms directly, here are the relevant pages: