SERVICES
Pico Water District provides its customers with a high-quality and reliable water supply at affordable rates. While customers can click here for a full list of rules and regulations regarding Pico Water District services, answers to the most common questions can be found below.
START & STOP SERVICE
STARTING SERVICE & OPENING AN ACCOUNT
New customers are required to fill out an application form and provide all information as prescribed below. When scheduling water service, plan 24 hours in advance. New service requests made after 3 p.m. will not be changed until the following business day.
- Complete Residential or Business Application in full.
- Provide a copy of current driver’s license or state-issued identification card and Social Security card.
- State whether applicant is an owner, tenant or agent for the premises.
- Provide proof of ownership through a copy of escrow papers, grant deed, or property tax bill. The owners name and address must appear on the document.
- If the person requesting service is a tenant, the applicant must provide the owner’s name, address and telephone number, along with a signed Owner/Tenant Service Affidavit.
A deposit will be required for all commercial accounts.
STOPPING SERVICE & CLOSING AN ACCOUNT
To stop your water service, please call Customer Service at (562) 692-3756. You will be asked to provide the following information:
1. Customer name
2. Email (if available)
3. Account number
4. Service address
5. Contact phone
6. Forwarding address
7. Date service is to be stopped
HOW TO READ YOUR WATER BILL
Pico Water District customers can pay water bills online by clicking here and registering your account.
To understand your printed water bill, click here for a convenient guide. Customers requiring additional assistance can call the Pico Water District office at 562-692-3756 during normal business hours.
RATES & CHARGES
WATER RATES
Pico Water District (District ) provides water service to ratepayers within its boundaries. While the District strives to be efficient and competitive with its rates, its costs continue to rise due to the replacement of aging infrastructure and undersized mainlines, drilling of new wells and the installation of a new treatment system to remove per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the collective term for a group of synthetic chemicals detected in some of the District’s wells.
In an effort to make sure the District was being a good steward of its resources it hired Bartle Wells Associates (an independent financial consultant specializing in water rate reviews) in 2019 to review its water rates and planned ten-year capital improvement projects, and to provide the District with a new rate plan. Bartle Wells Associates (BWA) provided the District with a new water rate plan that is both cost effective, competitive and will generate the funds needed in the future to replace aging infrastructure and water quality needs. The new Water Rate Plan should generate sufficient funding to provide new treatment facilities, increase safety standards, make critical equipment upgrades and maintain long-term financial stability.
The Board of Directors approved the new Water Rate Plan during a public hearing and meeting on December 16, 2020. The new rates become effective on February 14, 2021.
TERMINATION OF SERVICE FOR NON-PAYMENT – If a bill becomes delinquent and is not paid in full, or permissible alternative payment arrangements are not made, then water service may be terminated after notice is provided in accordance with the District’s Rules and Regulations.
COMMUNITY MEETING
Pico Water District held a virtual Community Meeting to educate customers and address questions or concerns regarding the proposed rate adjustment on November 19, 2020.
A flyer containing additional details about the proposed rate adjustments can be found by clicking the links below:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & QUESTIONS
For further details regarding the rate increases to the District’s water rates or fees, please contact the District office at (562) 692-3756
HOURS OF OPERATION
& CONTACT
HOURS
Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
LOCATION
4843 S. Church St.
Pico Rivera, CA
90660-2102
MAILING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 758
Pico Rivera, CA
90660-2102
OFFICE NUMBER
(ANSWERED 24 HOURS)
562.692.3756
FAX NUMBER
562.692.5627
2023 Holiday Schedule
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 2 |
| Martin Luther King Day | January 16 |
| President’s Day | February 20 |
| Memorial Day | May 29 |
| Independence Day | July 4 |
| Labor Day | September 4 |
| Veteran’s Day | November 10 |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 23 |
| Day After Thanksgiving | November 24 |
| Christmas Day | December 25 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The most likely reason for a high bill is an increase in consumption or a leak. In preparation of your bill, we compare your current water usage with the most recent and historical information. If consumption is unusually high, we have the meter read a second time before the final bill goes out. If the meter reader believes that the customer may have a leak, a notice is left informing the customer of a potential problem.
For many customers, outdoor water use is a major source of water consumption. Converting grass to water-friendly landscaping will reduce water demand and smart irrigation controllers help ensure those systems operate efficiently.
Good water habits such as taking shorter showers, fixing leaks, and running dishwashers and washing machines only when full also help reduce water use.
Newer technology can also help with conservation. To encourage customers to invest in water saving devices, a number of rebates are available. Visit https://www.picowaterdistrict.net/Conservation_&_Rebates for details
Online payment services are available at our website www.picowaterdistrict.net. Use our Autopay program where your bill is paid each due date by direct debit from your bank account or debit/credit card account. Visit our website and click on the pay online button to signup, or call (800)766-2350 for assistance, its fast and easy.
Pay by mail with your check made out to “Pico Water District”. Remember to always include your payment stub.
Pay by phone with a debit card, credit card or checking account by calling (833) 412-9721 or you can call the office at (562) 692-3756 during business hours to pay by phone.
Pay in person (cash, check, money order and debit/credit card) at 4843 Church Street, Pico Rivera. Hours of operation are Monday thru Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The District is closed every other Friday.
Residential customers are billed bi-monthly. Commercial customers are billed monthly.
The Water Meter Change is a fixed monthly fee based upon the size of your meter. It represents your share of the basic maintenance and expense costs of operating the entire water system.
You can call the District during normal business hours and speak with a Customer Service Representative. You will be asked for a forwarding address as to where we can send the final bill or customer refund, if applicable. Your service will be discontinued the same day if you call prior to 3:00 PM.
Customers will receive three notices, the bill, a delinquent notice, and a hand-delivered forty-eight-hour turn-off notice.
Your bill is mailed out and is due and payable upon receipt. If not paid by close of business on the 20th day of your billing month, you will be mailed a delinquent notice advising when payment must be received to avoid termination of your service. Approximately 12 days after the delinquent notice is mailed, a forty-eight-hour door hanger will be hand-delivered. The forty-eight-hour shut-off notice informs the customer that if the delinquent bill is not paid by the close of business on the date indicated on the notice, service will be shut off.
Click the link below to download and print a Public Records Request Form
Your water bill is based on a water rate structure that includes a monthly fixed meter charge, a monthly fixed surcharge and a volumetric water use charge. The Monthly Fixed Charges are based on water meter size and cover costs such as account servicing expenses, debt payments, most general and administrative costs and a portion of maintenance expenses. The monthly surcharge is a charge dedicated to the repayment of a seven-million-dollar loan the District took out in 2015 to replace needed undersized mainlines and rill a new well. The Volumetric Rate is based on how much water passes through a customer’s meter. This covers the costs of water treatment and distribution, maintenance, conservation programs, a portion of general and administrative costs and for water to replenish groundwater supplies. The volumetric rate and service charge will be adjusted annually on February 14 through 2025.
Certain provider expenses, such as water to maintain groundwater levels, may increase more than anticipated in the future. In the event that occurs, Pico Water District would “pass-through” the increased charges by adjusting rates to cover those exact expenses. Prior to initiating any pass-through adjustment, the District will notify all customers at least 30 days in advance of implementation.
Approximately 25% of the District’s budget pays for operation and maintenance expenses, with another 25% covering the cost of water purchases to maintain groundwater levels. Administrative costs are roughly 34% of District expenses with the remaining money spent on debt, capital costs and water conservation efforts
PFAS stands for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances and is the collective term for a large group of synthetic chemicals that includes perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS). The compounds were widely used in products that resist heat, oils, stains and water such as stain resistant carpets and fabrics, paints, water resistant clothing, fast-food packaging, non-stick cookware, firefighting foams and personal care products.
On February 6, 2020, the State Water Resources Control Board lowered the Response Level of these chemicals to 10 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and 40 ppt for PFOS. The rate adjustment provides funding for Pico Water District to treat drinking water and ensure PFOA and PFOS levels remain below these state standards.
Pico Water District is a not-for-profit government agency. By law, the District must charge no more than the actual costs of providing water service to our customers.
LOCATION:
4843 S. Church Street
Pico Rivera, CA
90660-2102
MAILING ADDRESS:
PO Box 758
Pico Rivera, CA
90660-2102
PHONE: 562.692.3756
FAX: 562.692.5627
