Bella Vista Water District - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Fact Sheets .PDF Document

How do I get to your office?
How do I read my bill and what are your fees?
Is your Water Service Application online?
What payment options are available for paying my bill?
How do I read my meter?
How do I know if I have a leak? How can I find out?
What is in your water? Do you put fluoride in your water?
Is your Agricultural Water Service Application online?
What are the Agricultural rate qualification guidelines?
What is a cross-connection charge?
What is the Special Assessment I see on my tax bill?
What are water equivalents for converting into different measurement units?

How do I get to your office?
You can get directions to our office on our Contact Us page.
How do I read my bill and what are your fees?
The District's water rates are broken down into two parts; a base charge and a unit or commodity charge. Any activated service incurs a base charge. The base charge is a standard bimonthly charge which varies with the size of the meter and type of service, i.e., residential, agricultural, etc. This base charge does not provide for any water. The charge is used to offset the cost of providing service and maintaining the service and the water system, irrespective of the amount of water delivered. Costs include planning; meeting regulatory requirements; maintaining the system in good repair; meter replacements, etc.

The commodity charge is a unit charge for the amount of water used. This charge is made to recover the direct costs of supplying water, which includes water purchases, treatment, pumping, and other costs attributable directly to the amount of water used.

The District's policy is to do a cost-based study once every five years to determine a goal for setting the rates. The rates are adjusted annually to reflect the costs.

The District is a not for profit entity formed under California law to provide water service. There is no profit. Every dollar collected goes into providing the water and operating and maintaining the system with a small amount set aside for emergencies.
Is your Water Service Application online?
Yes you may access the application online [ BVWD Water Service Application ]
What payment options are available for paying my bill?
- Online
  The District now offers the convenience of an online bill payment system referred to as iWeb. The payment website can be accessed at http://epay.bvwd.org. There is a $3.00(1) transaction fee for each and every payment made using iWeb. This fee will be added to the following cycle's statement. Payments made using this process are posted to your account the following business day.
- Online through your bank
  Many banks now offer online bill payment options through their website. These types of payments are processed electronically through the bank's website, and the financial institution mails a printed check to the District. Be aware that this process can take up 7-10 days for payments to be posted, so you will need to allow for extra time before the due date when using this option.
- Credit Card
  You can pay your bill by Visa or Master Card two ways:
  - In person at the District office.
  - By phone by calling the District Customer Service department at 530-241-1085. There is a $3.00 transaction fee for using credit cards which is added to the current balance at the time payment is made.
- Mail
  We accept checks and money orders by mail at the address listed below. Your billing statement will include a return envelope to mail a check with each cycle. Please be sure to include the top portion of your bill stub and please do not send cash.
  
  Bella Vista Water District
  11368 E. Stillwater Way
  Redding, CA 96003-9510
- In Person
  You may pay by cash, check, money order, Visa or Mastercard at the District office, located at 11368 E. Stillwater Way in Redding.
How do I read my meter?
If the register lens is dirty, a light wipe with a damp cloth will clear the lens for an accurate reading. Always remember to close the register cover after reading the meter to avoid exposure to cracking or scratching of lens.

One of the most important factors in a correct reading is to note the proper number of digits. Read the meter register from left to right.
How do I know if I have a leak? How can I find out?
The best method for determining whether a leak exists is to take actual water meter readings. This method checks the entire internal plumbing system for water leaks. Take a water meter reading just before going to bed or when no one will use any water for several hours. Take another meter reading in the morning before any water is used or after a few hours of non-use. In theory, the two readings should be the same. If they are not and you cannot account for the use by a humidifier, ice cube maker, toilet flush, or water softener, you have a leak and further investigation is recommended.

From our experience, 90 percent of the leaks in residential plumbing systems are found at the toilet tank. Malfunctioning water softeners and humidifiers run a distant second and third. We encourage you to check for a leak. Toilets leak at the bottom of the tank around the flapper plug or at the top of the tank at the overflow tube. To test the flapper plug, carefully remove the lid from the toilet tank and mark the water level in each toilet tank with a pencil. Shut off the water supply to the toilet. If the water remains on the mark you made for 10 minutes, the flapper plug is not leaking. If the water level drops below the mark you made, the flapper plug is leaking and should be repaired or replaced. The water level in the toilet tank should be at least one inch below the top of the overflow tube. If the water level in the toilet tank is at the top of the overflow tube, that is where a leak may be occurring and the float that controls the water level in the tank should be adjusted so that the water level in the tank is at least one inch below the top of the tube. Toilet tank leaks typically result from worn parts or misalignment of some part of the flushing mechanism. Most repairs can be done by an experienced do-it-yourselfer. If you are not sure you can handle the job, call a plumber. It is important to stop the leak because water leaks are costly.
What is in your water? Do you put fluoride in your water?
The District publishes a Water Quality Report, also know as a Consumer Confidence Report, annually in May of each year. See Water Quality. The District does not add fluoride to the water.
Is your Agricultural Water Service Application online?
Yes you may access the application online [ Agricultural Water Service Application ]
What are the Agricultural rate qualification guidelines?
Agricultural water rate eligibility is not transferable to new property owners. A new owner must apply for the agricultural rate based on current Federal and District guidelines.

Definitions:
- Agricultural Water:
  Water delivered to consumers for use primarily in the commercial production of agricultural crops or livestock including domestic use incidental thereto.
- Agricultural Service:
  All agricultural service requires a meter size of one-inch (1") or larger and shall meet all Bureau of Reclamation requirements for agricultural "Irrigation Water" service. All applications must be for contiguous and cultivated land with an irrigated crop area of at least 2-acres.
- Criteria:
  Eligibility to obtain Irrigation Water can be obtained if the property to be irrigated meets certain criteria as required by the District's Water Service Contract (i.e. "...must be used primarily in the production of crops or livestock for sale or documented barter (in quantities consistent with a commercial agricultural business endeavor) beyond the quantity needed for personal use.") Items considered for qualification: (a) Must have a 1" meter or larger; (b) have a minimum of two acres of cultivated land under irrigation and dedicated to crop production; (c) have a business or development plan; (d) have crops or livestock sales or documented barter; (e) have improvements to land, including, but not limited to buildings, irrigation systems, leveling corrals, fencing, fruit or nut trees, vines, etc.; (f) related enterprises, i.e., project water diverted to irrigate pasture for horses used in a (an on-site) cattle operation would be irrigation water in contrast to water used to irrigate pasture for horses used for boarding/breeding or personal enjoyment which would be M & I water.
- Determination:
  The General Manager shall review all applications for agricultural water. Eligible lands must comply with Federal Reclamation law, prior to receiving agricultural water in the form prescribed by the Bureau as provided in the Bureau contract.
- Agricultural Service on Unimproved Land:
  Request for agricultural water service on unimproved qualified lands shall be considered at such time as irrigation demands for the commercial production of agricultural crops or livestock is necessitated. Prior to necessary improvements being established to warrant federal agricultural water applications, such lands shall be eligible only for residential, commercial, or rural water rates.
- Commercial Agricultural Business Plan:
  Agricultural customers shall be required to implement a commercial agricultural business plan. Plans shall be submitted with the application for agricultural water service.
- Water Users Census Report:
  Agricultural services shall be required to annually submit a Water Users Census Report. Failure to submit the required Census Report by December 1 of each year may result in loss of the agricultural water rate. In addition, before receiving water at agricultural rates and thereafter annually with the Water Users Census Report the customer shall certify, on a form provided by the District, compliance with the criteria for receiving agricultural "Irrigation" water service.
What is a cross-connection charge?
Cross Connection Control Device Requirements - Title 17 of the California Administrative Code may require the installation and annual testing of a cross-connection control device on your water service. Prior to the installation of your new service, a technician from the District will contact you and/or inspect your property to see if a device is required and will inform you of his/her finding. If the device is required, the cost of the parts, installation, and initial testing will be your responsibility. These costs are over and above the District's normal connection charge. These devices must be tested upon installation and annually thereafter. The District will add $6.00 to your bimonthly water bill to pay for the testing.

All commercial accounts are required to have cross connection control devices. Also, properties with a private well are required to have the device unless the well is rendered inoperable or abandoned per Shasta County standards.

Cross connection control devices are installed to protect the public water system at the service connection by containing actual or potential pollution or contamination within the customer premises. There are many examples that could cause this situation. Examples might be fertilizer or pesticide injection systems, processing or manufacturing using chemicals, private wells or water contaminated or polluted by some objectionable substance getting into the water from a sink or hose, etc. Without the device, the degraded water could be pulled into the public water system during an event such as a power failure, fire fighting, or a water main break to name a few. The pressure on the public system becomes lower than the customer's side of the meter resulting in backpressure or back siphonage into the public water supply. This is commonly referred to as a cross connection. The District is tasked with identifying and mitigating cross connections in an ongoing effort to maintain a safe drinking water supply. Thank you for your cooperation with the districts efforts to administer this program.
What is the Special Assessment I see on my tax bill?
The Bella Vista Water District annually levies a special assessment. This assessment was authorized by the District's voters/landowners in March, 1964.

The purpose of the assessment is for:
- The purchase of water from the Bureau of Reclamation, including water that would protect future allocation rights, thus reserving water for future expanded needs.
- To repay the cost of the water system in accordance with the contract between the Bureau of Reclamation and the District.
- To operate and maintain the system.
- To maintain a contingency reserve.
The authority given the District by the election was to set a rate up to $1.00 per $100.00 of assessed valuation of land only (not improvements). The special assessment rate for the 2007-2008 fiscal year is $0.3344 per $100.00. In recent years the District has attempted to keep the rate at or near the $0.37 level. The rate will fluctuate slightly from year to year due to the inability of the County to provide the District with the final assessed valuation figures upon which to base the rate until after the date the rate must be set by the District's Board of Directors for that year.

The 2007-2008 rate is expected to provide approximately $1,846,890.00 to the District for the above purposes.

It should be noted that this obligation was voted on prior to Proposition 13 and was tested in court after Proposition 13. The court opinion stated that the special assessment is not a tax, therefore, Proposition 13 did not limit the authority of the District to levy these assessments.
What are water equivalents for converting into different measurement units?
- 1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons = 62.4 pounds of water
- 1 acre-foot = 43,560 cubic feet or 325,900 gallons of water
- 1 acre-foot covers 1 acre of land 1 foot deep.