On the Pullman side, the City of Pullman bills water, sewer, and stormwater, Pullman Disposal Service handles garbage and recycling on its own bill, and Avista supplies both electricity and natural gas. On the Moscow side, one City of Moscow utility bill covers water, sewer, sanitation, and stormwater, with Inland North Waste doing the curbside pickup, and Avista again supplies electricity and natural gas. For internet, Ziply Fiber publishes fiber maps for both towns and First Step Internet marks both towns in its service areas table, but what is actually live depends on the exact address. Each account has to be opened in your name with a start date that matches closing day, because the title or escrow company does not transfer utilities for you.
This is written for buyers closing on a home in Pullman or Moscow who need to know which providers to call and when.
Pullman: three city utilities and a separate trash bill
- The City of Pullman provides water, sewer, and stormwater service and bills them together; a new account holder applies with the Utility Billing New Service Order Form on the city website.
- The city moved to a new utility billing platform in September 2025, so the account portal at municipalonlinepayments.com and the Customer ID printed at the top of the paper bill are what you use to pay online.
- Utility Services is at 190 SE Crestview Street, 509-334-4555, open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the business hours line for water and sewer questions is 509-338-3243, as of September 18, 2026.
- The city does not manage solid waste. Garbage, recycling, and yard waste in Pullman come from Pullman Disposal Service, 509-334-1914, which describes itself as the exclusive solid waste hauler for Pullman and the surrounding area and bills customers directly, after the service month.
- Pullman Disposal runs weekly curbside pickup with 20, 32, 64, or 96 gallon carts, publishes its current rates on its residential services page, uses a residential sign up form to start service, and requires written notice to stop.
Moscow: one city bill for water, sewer, sanitation, and stormwater
- The City of Moscow bills water, sewer, sanitation, and stormwater on a single utility account; a new owner starts service by submitting the Property Owner Application for Use of City Utility Services online, by email, by mail, or in person at the Finance Department, 206 E 3rd Street.
- Once the Finance Department has the application, the account is established and the first bill goes out on the first business day of the month; after that first bill arrives you can create a Paydici account for online, recurring, and paperless payments.
- Curbside garbage pickup is weekly and recycling is every other week, collected by Inland North Waste, which also runs the Moscow Recycling Center at 401 North Jackson Street in partnership with the city; the city website has a residential collection map to find your pickup day.
- Residential garbage carts come in 35, 65, and 95 gallon sizes, and the city publishes the current rates on its Service Rates page and updates its fees every October 1.
- Utility Billing is reachable at 208-883-7043, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as of September 18, 2026, and the Getting Started page lists an email address for the same office.
Avista: electricity and natural gas on both sides of the line
- Avista is the electric and natural gas utility for both towns. Its territory covers eastern Washington and northern Idaho, and its site lists Moscow and Pullman among the communities in its Lewiston, Clarkston, Moscow, Clearwater Valley, and Pullman region.
- Start service online at myavista.com or by calling 800-227-9187, weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Avista asks you to allow up to two business days to process the request, so submit it before closing week rather than on closing day.
- The online start form asks for your legal name, email, phone, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your date of birth (you must be 18 or older), the service address, and the start date you want.
- Avista says a deposit may be required after customer service reviews a new account, and some addresses cannot be started online and require a phone call.
- If you are moving within Avista territory, for example from a Moscow rental to a Pullman purchase, use the transfer option so the old address stops on the same request that starts the new one.
Internet: check the address, not the town
- Ziply Fiber announced fiber service in Pullman and Moscow in April 2021 covering about 21,000 residential and business addresses in its initial build, and its Pullman and Moscow pages now show a map of fiber ready, under construction, and future fiber areas, so enter the exact address to see what is live.
- First Step Internet, based at 1420 S Blaine Street in Moscow, marks both Moscow and Pullman in its service areas table; its fiber page names Sundance South on South Grand Avenue as the one live Pullman fiber area, lists Kitzmiller Road and Sunshine Road in Pullman as coming soon, and the company also sells fixed wireless service in the wider area.
- First Step's fiber page lists its current tiers with free installation and no contracts as of September 18, 2026; call 208-882-8869 to confirm what is available at your address.
- Ask the seller or listing agent which provider already serves the house so you know whether a line is in place before you order, and book the install for a date after you have keys.
Before closing day: the order that works
- Two weeks out, gather what the forms ask for: the property address, your closing date, a phone number and email, and for Avista the last four digits of your Social Security number and your date of birth.
- About a week out, submit the Avista start request with closing day as the start date, since Avista needs up to two business days, and file the Pullman New Service Order Form or the Moscow Property Owner Application for the same date.
- In Pullman, contact Pullman Disposal separately for garbage and recycling; in Moscow, sanitation is on the city application, so there is no second call to make.
- Order internet as early as the provider allows so the install appointment lands after closing, and ask the seller to keep their service on through closing day rather than stopping it early.
- Nobody at the closing table sets up utilities for you. The title or escrow company records the deed and disburses funds; opening each utility account in your name is a task for the buyer. Jordan Vorderbrueggen, 509-288-0082, can point you to the right provider for a specific address on either side of the line.
Common questions
Does the seller's utility account just switch over to me at closing?
No. Each provider needs a new account in your name: the City of Pullman New Service Order Form, the City of Moscow Property Owner Application, and Avista's start service request. Ask for a start date that matches closing day.
Do I need to sign up for trash separately?
In Pullman, yes. The city does not manage solid waste, and Pullman Disposal Service bills garbage and recycling on its own account. In Moscow, sanitation is part of the city utility bill, so the city application covers it.
Will I have to pay a deposit?
Avista's start service page says a deposit may be required after customer service reviews a new account. The City of Pullman and City of Moscow utility pages viewed on September 18, 2026 do not state a deposit for new owners, so ask when you apply.
A note on scope
This article is general information, not legal, tax, lending, insurance, inspection, or title advice. For those questions, work with the relevant licensed professional. This guide does not rank neighborhoods, schools, or safety.
Next step
Start with the relocation resource, then contact Jordan with your specific move question.
About the author
Jordan Vorderbrueggen writes about buying and selling homes in Pullman, Moscow, and across the Palouse with Woodbridge Real Estate. Hard to Spell, Tough to Beat.
