Frequently Asked Questions

To start new utility service you will need to fill out an application and have a valid form of identification such as a driver’s license, a state ID, a passport, a TWIC card, or a Federal ID if a business. There is a $125 deposit for residential service and a commercial deposit based on the type of business being set up, the deposit varies from $125 to $1,000 or more.

The deposit can be waived for residential service only as long as the customer can provide evidence from their previous water utility that they had water service in the past 12 months without any late fees. Bring the application and ID with the deposit to the Water Department in city hall 710 E San Augustine St during working hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you need further assistance, please call the Water Department at 281-478-7221.

• You can pay inside City Hall at the Collections Department counter 710 E. San Augustine St. during working hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• You can pay at the drive-through at City Hall during working hours Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 710 E. San Augustine St or at the payment drop box 24 hours a day seven days a week.
• You can pay by mail at the following mailing address. City of Deer Park - Collections P.O. Box 700 Deer Park TX 77536
• You can pay online at the city's website.

• You can pay inside City Hall at the Collections Department counter 710 E. San Augustine St. during working hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• You can pay at the drive-through at City Hall during working hours Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm 710 E. San Augustine St or at the payment drop box 24 hours a day seven days a week.
• You can pay by mail at the following mailing address. City of Deer Park - Collections PO Box 700 Deer Park TX 77536
• You can pay on-line at the city's website.

How to Read Your Water Meter and Check for Leaks Check Your Meter Below are instructions on how to check your meter to find out how much water is going through the meter. Knowing the volume of water will help you determine the amount of water you are using or the possible size of a leak.

1. This test should be conducted for a 60 minute period, during which time no water is being used at your location.
2. Find your water meter, in some cases the meter is located in the backyard, but typically it is located in a covered box in the front of the house close to the sidewalk or street.
3. Write down the numbers indicated on the meter dial at the start of this test. Also notate the position of the sweep hand on the front of the meter.
4. Return to check the meter reading after 30 minutes have passed and again after 60 minutes.
5. If the numbers have not changed, it is probable that you do not have a leak in your water lines or perhaps the leak is intermediate.
6. If the numbers have changed without your using any water, you may have a leak. The meter readings work similar to the odometer on a car. To determine the amount of water going through the meter you can subtract the original numbers from the current reading to determine how many gallons have gone through the meter. The usual residential meter will show thousand gallons increments on the dial with the numbers that have a white background and hundreds to tens of gallons of water shown on the dial with a black background. The sweep hand on the meter is a ten gallon sweep, so every time the hand moves from one digit to the next one gallon of water has gone through the meter. The meter shown above indicates that 369,206.7 gallons of water have gone through the meter.
7. The most common culprit for water leaks are toilets. Hundreds to thousands of gallons of water can go down the drain from a running toilet over a month’s time. To check your toilet simply put a colored liquid (or leak detection tablets) in the top tank. Wait 30 minutes or so. If the color from the top tank appears in the bowl without your flushing the toilet you have water going down the drain.
8. If you need assistance in locating your meter or understanding how to read your water meter, you may call the Water Department at City Hall at 281-478-7221 or send an email to Customer Service.

Your water meter is read monthly.

The City does make leak adjustments on the excess sewer amount charged in some cases. When requesting a leak adjustment you will need to provide a receipt showing that the repairs have been done and were done in a timely manner.  Only one adjustment is allowed over a 12 month period.

You may also request a pool fill sewer adjustment when filling your pool for the first time or filling your pool after repairing a pool leak once over a 12 month period. For a pool fill adjustment we require a receipt from the purchase of the pool or repair and a letter or evidence from the pool company stating the capacity of the pool in gallons.

Garbage pickup has two schedules.

• Mondays and Thursdays (residents closer to Highway 225)
• Tuesday and Fridays (residents closer to Spencer)
• Heavy Trash pickup starts every Wednesday.

You can call the Collections Office at 281-478-7221 for specific information on when your garbage is scheduled for pickup. You can call Public Works for questions dealing with what can be thrown away in the garbage, heavy trash pickup, or questions dealing with recycling at 281-478-7252.

You can purchase garbage bags for garbage pickup at any store that sells garbage bags. You can also purchase garbage bags at city hall in the Utility Department for $25.00 (plus tax) per box, ID required.

For a complete ten year history of the City's adopted tax rate go to the Tax Department's webpage.

The city offers a $50,000 exemption off the value for granted over 65 and disability exemptions. For example a house valued at $120,000 with a homestead exemption and over 65 or disability exemption would be taxed as follows.

1. $120,000 x $.20 = $24,000
2. $120,000 - $24,000 = $96,000
3. $96,000 - $50,000 = $46,000
4. $46,000 x $.7200 / $100 = $331.20

The city also has a tax ceiling in effect which places a cap on what a resident who has an over 65 or disability exemption will pay for property taxes.