Pay Your Utility Bill Online
City Utilities
Water, sewer, and landfill (trash) are billed monthly by the City of Houghton to each residence.
Water
Water meters are read every month. The charge for water is $4.36 per 100 cubic feet.
Director of Public Works
Ryan Avendt, 906-482-1119 (email: ryan.avendt@cityofhoughton.com)
Utility Billing Questions
Cleo Ruonavaara, 906-483-4643 (email: cleo@cityofhoughton.com)
Sewer
Sewer is $6.83 per 100 cubic feet based upon water consumption. Lawn watering meters can be purchased at City Hall for $125. Sewer charges are then credited for water that does not enter the sanitary sewer system.
Automatic City Utility Payment Form
Pay your utility bills automatically on the due date by ACH. Print out the form and fill it out and send it to the City of Houghton, PO Box 606, Houghton, MI 49931. The City will then automatically take the amount of your bill out of your checking account on the due date. You will still receive your postcard bill every month showing you the amount due and informing you that it will be automatically deducted. If you have any questions, please call 483-4643 and ask for Cleo. ACH Form.
High Water Bill?
If you have a high water bill you may have a leak. Below is a link to instructions on how to look for leaks in your home.
How to check for water leaks (PDF Format)
Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report
Policies Regarding Frozen Water Pipes, Seasonal Let-Runs, and Catastrophic Water Bills
Other Utility Providers
City of Houghton Public Works
Natural Gas:
SEMCO Energy
800-624-2019
Electricity:
Upper Peninsula Power Company
800-562-7680
Telephone and Internet:
AT&T
All AT&T Services (link)
Landing Page
Cable Television, Telephone and Internet Service:
Spectrum (Charter) Communications
877-840-9914
Trash Collection & Recycling
The City of Houghton has change its trash and recyclables collection to the use of carts. Waste Management collects the trash in the cart once a week and the recyclables every other week on the regular trash collection day of the week. The carts need to be put out for collection prior to 7:00 a.m. on collection day.
If Waste Management misses your trash and recyclables, you can put them out again the next week or you can take them to Waste Management at their office on Enterprise Drive.
Waste Management honors the following holidays. Your trash pick-up will be delayed one day later after the following holidays for the week of the holiday:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Please note that this also includes holidays that may not fall on your regular trash day as the holiday does throw the schedule off for the rest of the week. For example; if the holiday falls on a Wednesday, the trash picked up on Tuesday is not affected, but the Thursday trash day will be picked up on Friday.
If the holiday falls on the weekend, there is no disruption in service.
Trash
Trash must be placed in the designated trash cart provided by Waste Management. The lid on the cart must be closed. No trash will be collected outside the cart.
Recyclables
Acceptable recyclables must be clean and placed in the recyclables cart. The lid must be closed. No recyclables outside of the cart will be collected.
Please read the pdf list below of what can and cannot go into the recycle bin and how to prepare your recycling materials.
A lot of things not accepted curbside can be recycled elsewhere. The link below will bring you to the Copper Country Recycle/Reuse website for other information.
Materials Management
On July 3, 2024 (with acceptance by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy on August 1, 2024), the HOUGHTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS filed a Notice of Intent to prepare its Materials Management Plan and has become the County Approval Agency as required by Part 115, Solid Waste Management, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act,1994 PA 451, as amended. Houghton County intends to develop a MULTICOUNTY plan with Baraga, Gogebic, Iron, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties.
Please note that all materials management planning committee meetings will be open to the public. Notices of these meetings will be displayed at: 401 E Houghton Ave, Houghton, MI 49931. Notices will also be delivered to each city, village, and township in the county.
Please direct questions to: Jerald Wuorenmaa, Executive Director, Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region (the designated planning agency), at (906) 482-7205 x111 or jwuorenmaa@wuppdr.org
Tom Tikkanen, Chairman
Resource Links
List of acceptable Recycling Items
Copper Country Recycling Initiative
Waste Free Edmonton’s “15 Ways to Repurpose Your Old Garbage Bin.” https://wastefree.ca/2021/08/01/15-ways-to-repurpose-your-old-garbage-bin/
How to pull garbage cans down your long driveway
Questions can be directed to the City of Houghton at 906-482-1700 or Waste Management at 800-963-4776 or www.wmsolutions.com/locations
