3.05.280 Billing.
A. General Provisions. The property owner is liable for payment of bills, costs, loss, damage, penalties, charges, or fees regardless of user or use for water or other services provided to the property for all domestic water service from the acquisition date of the property until such time as the property is transferred to new ownership. The property owner is responsible to provide the district with a notice to stop domestic water service in a form and manner determined by the district in accordance with CVWDC 3.05.310(C).
1. Rendering of Bill. The charges may be billed monthly. If the district also provides services other than domestic water service, a single bill may be rendered for all district services. The bill may also include charges collected for other agencies.
2. Domestic Water Service Information on Bill. The bill may show one or more of the following charges: consumption charge, service charge, or special charge and total amount due. In addition, the bill will show the customer’s account number, the date of billing, the service location, and the address to which the bill was mailed.
For domestic water service accounts subject to the district’s tiered rates, the following information may also be included on the bill: customer’s water budget for the period, customer’s actual water usage for the period, customer’s water efficiency rating and the customer’s water usage history.
Information shown on the customer’s bill may change at the general manager’s discretion.
B. Person to Be Billed.
1. Person to Be Billed. Charges will be the responsibility of the property owner. The property owner may authorize, in writing, that a second party, such as a tenant may establish service in their name as provided for in CVWDC 3.05.090(B). Users, including tenants, may also have rights under California state law to establish water service without the authorization of the property owner if the service is subject to turn off. The property owner shall be held responsible for payment of all amounts due for domestic water service, including all bills, costs, loss, damage, penalties, charges, or fees regardless of user or use. The property owner may request for a copy of the bill to be sent to the owner’s mailing address as well. The property owner shall notify the district of any change in the ownership or occupancy of the property at least two days prior to such change in a manner deemed acceptable by the district.
C. Payment. The bill for domestic water service is due and payable 15 days after it is rendered. A bill will become delinquent if it is not paid within 15 days from the date it is rendered.
D. Adjustment of Bill. The customer may request, in a manner deemed acceptable by the district, an adjustment to the domestic water service charges billed for one of the following reasons.
1. Estimated meter reading.
2. Water budget appeal.
3. Water meter accuracy.
4. Adjustment of bills for excessive consumption.
E. Estimated Meter Reading. A bill based upon an estimated meter reading, as provided in CVWDC 3.05.150(C)(1), may be adjusted at the customer’s request and as approved by the district. Billing adjustments related to an estimated meter reading will be limited to the period for which the meter reading was estimated.
F. Water Budget Appeal. An adjustment may be requested and/or granted based upon the customer’s allocation-based tiered rate water budget as set out in the district’s allocation-based tiered rate structure, per the general manager’s direction. All adjustments will be granted from the date of district approval forward. Water budgets may be adjusted for the following reasons:
1. Number of Extra People in Household. Two CCFs for one person; four CCFs for two people; six CCFs for three people; eight CCFs for four people, maximum of eight total people in the household. Documentation or proof required. Proof may be a driver’s license, children’s birth certificates, school records, income tax returns, blank checks with preprinted name and address, lease agreements, etc.
2. Residential Additional Landscaped Area. Homeowner will draw or sketch the total lot size and the landscaped area in square feet. Hardscaped areas (driveways, patios) are not to be included in the landscaped area. Dimensions should be in feet and should show total area in square feet. District staff will verify and measure the area using the district’s aerial imagery, or on site verification. Any areas irrigated by another entity or water source shall not be included in the residential budget.
3. Nonresidential Additional Landscaped Area. Nonresidential customers will provide access for district staff to verify the landscape area each meter serves, which will be measured utilizing the district’s aerial imagery.
4. Vacant Lots. A vacant lot will receive 45 percent of the lot size as landscaped area until the owner notifies the district. Upon notification, the customer will have to comply with the landscape and irrigation system design ordinance, and will receive 100 percent of the landscaped area (not automatically 100 percent of lot size) which is approved as a part of that process, until subject to the sewer assessment fee (e.g., Mirada). It would also receive one CCF as an indoor budget, until a home is built and it is subject to the sewer assessment.
5. Medical Needs. If a medical need requires a significant increase in the amount of water being used, a determination will be made on a case-by-case basis. No documentation or proof required.
6. Large Domestic Animals. Animals such as horses and donkeys/mules may be allowed an increased budget. This will be on a case-by-case basis. Horses normally require eight to 15 gallons per day, which is 450 gallons or 0.6 CCFs/month. Round up to one CCF per large animal per month. (0.5 CCFs per goat, sheep, pig, or similar creature; one CCF per 100 fowl.)
7. Animal Shelters. Animal shelters may be allowed up to 0.25 CCF per dog and 0.125 CCF per cat.
8. Nonresidential Pools. Nonresidential pools may be given a budget of six CCF per 500 square feet of pool surface.
9. Process Water. Commercial process water is researched on a case-by-case basis by the water management department.
10. Landscape Areas Utilized for Nurseries. Customers with nurseries on a parcel shall be given an adjustment factor to account for the higher plant factor of these landscape areas. An adjustment factor of 1.4 will be multiplied by the square footage of any landscape area used for these purposes, and this figure will be used to calculate the outdoor budget for the associated meter. In order to qualify, a parcel must have or install the correct infrastructure to support this water use, and provide proof of a valid license and/or business registration to demonstrate commercial activity.
11. Change in Use. If a change in use is discovered during review, the budget may be adjusted, the customer/owner may be required to sever the connection and/or be required to install a new service and meter. This may also be subject to additional charges.
G. Water Meter Accuracy. A customer billed for unusually high consumption may request the district to test the meter serving its property. The charges for providing this service are provided in Appendix A-23 of this chapter. Upon receipt of the meter test request, the district will have the meter examined and tested at an approved testing laboratory. The customer may request a copy of the meter test results.
1. Adjustment of Bill.
a. Meter Registering Fast. If a meter is found to be registered more than two percent fast, another meter will be installed and the district will refund to the customer any amount charged for the test plus the amount of the overcharge based on corrected meter readings of the period the meter was in use, but not to exceed a period of 12 months immediately preceding the request for the meter test. If the meter is found to register not more than two percent over, any amount charged for the test will be retained by the district as the expense of making the test.
b. Meter Registering Slow. If a meter tested is found to be registering more than five percent slow, the district may bill the customer for the amount of the undercharge based upon corrected meter readings for the period the meter was in service, but not to exceed a period of 12 months immediately preceding the request for the meter test.
c. Meter Registering Accurately. If a meter tested is found to be registering accurately, within the limits prescribed above, the customer’s charge for the test will not be refunded.
2. Adjustment of Bills for Excessive Consumption. It is the customer’s responsibility to properly maintain the property’s private plumbing water system, including irrigation systems and water features. A leak in the customer’s water system is the sole responsibility of the customer and the district charges for all water that records and passes through the water meter. If a customer requests the district to review a bill for water service due to excessive consumption that is above historical usage for that month, the district may grant an adjustment subject to the conditions below.
Any request for a billing review must be made within 60 days of the first bill date reflecting excessive consumption.
Accounts classified as “Landscape”, Class 50, will be limited to an adjustment of no more than $5,000 and any adjustment will be limited to the meter where consumption occurred. Where meters are looped, historical consumption will be based upon the historical consumption of all looped meters rather than the specific meter where consumption occurred.
a. Verified Adjustments.
i. Verified adjustments for high consumption may be granted to customers when there is explained high consumption such as a water leak on the customer’s property. The district, after investigation, shall find all of the following:
(A) The meter must be re-read, may be field tested, and verified as accurate.
(B) Upon notification of excessive water consumption, the customer took prompt action to locate the leak and complete repairs within 30 days. Notification to the customer may take the form of a billing statement, written communication to the customer, a courtesy phone call or a notice left at the property.
(C) Proof of repair, including copies of repair bills or photographs, is required.
(D) The customer did not have a verified adjustment in the previous 12-month period prior to the bill with excessive consumption.
ii. All consumption above historical consumption for that month will be recalculated at the Tier 2 base rate.
iii. No adjustment shall be made for any period longer than 60 days or for water delivered 30 days after the district notifies the customer of the excessive use.
iv. Consumption must have returned to historical use.
v. No more than one verified adjustment shall be made for excessive consumption within a rolling 12-month period.
b. Unverified Adjustments.
i. Unverified adjustments for high consumption may be granted to customers when there is unexplained high consumption on the customer’s property. The district, after investigation, shall find all of the following:
(A) The meter must be re-read, may be field tested, and verified as accurate.
(B) Upon notification of excessive water consumption, the customer took prompt action to locate the possible cause of the excessive consumption within 30 days. Notification to the customer may take the form of a billing statement, written communication to the customer, a courtesy phone call or a notice left at the property.
(C) The customer did not have an unverified adjustment in the previous five-year period or a verified adjustment in the previous 12 months prior to the current bill with excessive consumption.
ii. All consumption above historical consumption for that month will be recalculated at the Tier 2 base rate.
iii. No adjustment shall be made for any period longer than 60 days.
iv. Consumption must have returned to historical use.
v. No more than one unverified adjustment shall be made for excessive consumption within a rolling five-year period. (Ord. 1399.16 § 6-2, 2023)