Billing

Next week we will be sending out the first bills of the New Year. There seems to be some confusion about this, so I am going to try to clear up some misconceptions.

Bills go out every other month on the even months. The billing months for the year are as follows:

February, April, June, August, October and December.

The bills go out on or about the 1st of these months. They are due on the 25th of the month they are received. If a payment is not received by the 25th, a reminder letter will be sent out. We cannot single out people and not send the letter. The billing program is set up to send letters to each account that has not been paid and it would be too time consuming to pick and choose who gets them. If your account is outstanding, no matter the reason, you will receive a letter. This is just a reminder that your bill has not been paid. This is a courtesy that we provide to our customers just so they are aware that the due date has come and gone and we have not received their payment.

If you feel you are going to be late in paying, please give Becky a call at 951-659-2675 or email her at Becky@pcwd.org. Let her know what is going on and when you might be able to pay. She is always happy to work with you on your bill.

If you do not pay it by the 10th of the following month, a $15 late fee will be accessed to your account. Many people get upset by this, but by the time the 10th rolls around, it has been about 6 weeks since the bills were sent out and we are approaching the next billing period. The best way to avoid this charge, is to send in your payment in a timely manner. If this isn't possible, please call us at 951-659-2675.

If you do not receive your bill in the mail, this does not mean you do not have to pay it. You are responsible for the amount due regardless of the efficiency or lack there of, of the United States Postal Service. We are changing from postcard type bills to bills in a business sized envelope, in hopes of resolving the problem of misplaced postcard bills. However, once the bills leave our office, we have no control over what happens to them as they go thorough the postal system. We often hear, "I never got my bill" as a reason for not paying. If you do not get your bill, please give us a call, email us or stop by and we can let you know the status of your account and the amount due, if any. This approach will save you from having a late fee added to your account.

If you are a renter, it is up to you and your landlord to work out an arrangement to pay the water bill. The District does not get involved in working out agreements between a homeowner and a tenant. If you are renting out your property, please be sure to let your tenant know who is responsible for paying the water bill. If your renter will be paying, please inform them of the total due in a timely manner so they have adequate time to come in and pay the bill.

Please remember that you are responsible for all the water that runs through your meter. There seems to be a misconception that if you have a leak, you do not have to pay for the water that was lost in the leak. This is not true. If it ran through your meter, you are responsible to pay for it, regardless of the reason it was used. Our Board of Directors sets the policy on this and we, as water district employees, have to follow said policy. If you disagree with this, the best course of action is to write a letter to the Board of Directors and they can put it on the agenda for review. We do realize that a leak can cause an unexpected hardship with a large water bill, so we are, in certain instances, able to work with you should you be faced with this dilemma. Again, call us and talk to us about it and we will be happy to help you as best we can.

Our office is now open from 9 to 4 with no closure for lunch on most days, so feel free to stop on by!

You can pay your bill by check, cash or credit card. If you choose to use a credit card you can do it in person or over the phone. There is a $2.50 convenience fee charged by the company that processes our credit card payments. Stop by and say hi, we love seeing our customers.