Article VI. Credit and Billing
3.05.270 Credit.
A. Establishing. As provided in CVWDC 3.05.090(B), the payment of domestic water service, including all bills, costs, loss, damage, penalties, charges, or fees regardless of user or use, in all cases shall be the responsibility of the property owner. Each applicant for domestic water service may be required to establish creditworthiness to the satisfaction of the district before service will be rendered. Applicant may establish creditworthiness with no deposit required if the applicant can show that most recent prior service was not terminated for nonpayment for 12 consecutive months from his/her previous domestic water service provider, even if that provider was not the district. Prior service must have been in the applicant’s name in order to be used for the creditworthiness test.
B. Amount of Deposit. Where creditworthiness cannot be established to the satisfaction of the district pursuant to subsection (A) of this section, a deposit may be required as provided in Appendix A-24 of this chapter or an amount equal to three times the average monthly bill for the preceding 12-month period.
C. Refund of Deposit. Residential deposits will be held by the district for a period of one year from the date domestic water service is provided to the subject property. All other deposits will be held until the completion of the project or service is terminated. If domestic water service is terminated during that one-year period for nonpayment, the district shall retain the deposit until domestic water service is ordered terminated by the customer. If domestic water service is not terminated during the first year, the district shall apply the deposit to the water billing or billings until the amount of the deposit is used in full. In the event the customer requests termination, the district shall refund the remaining balance of any deposit, without interest, and less any accrued but unpaid water and/or sewer billing, within a reasonable time after termination of service. In the event the district discovers damage, theft and/or unauthorized use of district facilities, services will be immediately discontinued and billing of services terminated. All applicable charges and penalties will be deducted from the customer’s deposit as provided under conditions of domestic water service, CVWDC 3.05.470 and 3.05.480. Applicable charges and penalties are provided in Appendix A-22 of this chapter. Any unclaimed deposit shall be held or retained by district pursuant to Cal. Gov’t. Code § 50650 et seq. or any successor statutes thereto. (Ord. 1399.16 § 6-1, 2023)