OK, I know it is Wednesday, but since I had to take Monday off, I am a day late on all my postings. So let's get back to our Frequently Asked Questions.
Q. Are we still in a drought and in a conservation stage?
A. We are no longer in Stage I conservation because we currently do not meet the criteria set forth by the board of directions. It is difficult to say if we are still in a drought. Water levels are up everywhere. Area lakes are full and natural springs are popping up everywhere. So it "looks" like the drought is perhaps over or at least easing up. However, we are never out of the woods when it comes to water. Conserving water should be a way of life for everyone because the less we use today, means the more we will have for tomorrow.
Q. I am renting out my cabin. Why won't you put the water bill in the renter's name?
A. All water accounts are put in the name of the property owner. When it comes to rentals, people move in and out and often times do not leave a forwarding address. Some have left without paying the water bill and the property owner does not want to pay the water bill for their tenant. That left us holding the bag. We provided water service, but received no payment. So, due to a few bad apples, we had to change our policy and we can now only put a water bill in the owner's name. It is up to the owner to work out a payment agreement with the renter and decide who will pay the bill. If the owner doesn't send the bill to the renter, they are welcome to stop in and we will be happy to give them the information they need to pay the bill.
Q. Where does our water come from anyway?
A. Our water comes from a series of ground wells. We are not connected to the Colorado River or any other water source. We provide water to Pine Cove residents from Pine Cove wells. That is why conservation is so important. There is not an infinite supply of ground water and during times of drought when we continue to remove it without it being replenished, levels can get low. Hence the 3 Conservation Stages. Wells are currently rising due to all the moisture we received this past winter, so that means the aquifer is being replenished. That is a good thing.
Q. Why is there a $2.50 fee to pay with a credit card?
A. In order to provide this service without incurring the costs of having a merchant account, we use a company that processes credit card purchases for us for a fee of $2.50. Pine Cove Water District does not get a single cent of that money. It goes directly to the credit card processor. If we were to establish a merchant account, we would be charged a percent of each purchase as well as other fees. We felt it was best not to take on this type of debt at this time.
Q. Are you ever going to have automatic payments?
A. We don't know. At this time, our billing program is not online, which we think is very smart. In order to have automatic payments, we would have to put it online and then worry about internet security. As it stands now, no one can hack into our computer and steal any one's information. We think this is a good thing!
Well I think that is enough for this week. I know enquiring minds want to know, so we are here to answer. If you think of any questions that I have not addressed, please feel free to drop me an email at pcwd2675@yahoo.com and I will be happy to address them.
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