Ventura Municipal Code Ch. 22.160 WATER SERVICE RATES AND CHARGES Revised

A. Applicability. The rates set out in this chapter shall be charged for all water sold, supplied, distributed or transported by the city for all bills prepared after the effective dates, without proration, except as may be established by contract or elsewhere provided in this code.

B. Inside and Outside City Limits. All rates for meters and water sold, supplied, distributed or transmitted to customers within or outside the city limits, unless otherwise herein specified, are specified in Appendix A of this title.

C. Billing. Billing shall be on a monthly basis. A service charge shall be made for each account in each billing period and for each partial billing period for new customers or customers terminating service as specified in Appendix A.

D. Service Determination. The charges for service types shall be determined as follows:

1. Single-family residential, Saticoy Country Club Water System residential, reclaimed, nonresidential and fireline water customers shall be charged as specified in Appendix A.

2. Multiple-family residential customers shall be charged by dividing the total number of dwelling units in that customer’s complex into the total amount of water used for the billing period; a charge for the resulting average quantity of water used per dwelling unit is then calculated in the same manner as is done for single-family residential dwelling units.

3. In addition to the charges in Appendix A, during city council declared water shortage events, water shortage surcharge rates shall be charged as specified in Chapter 22.171.

E. Pass-Through Charges. The rates charged for all water supplied by the city shall be established by ordinance of the city council. Each customer receiving water service is liable for payment for such service at the rates so specified in Appendix A.

The city council authorizes the imposition of future water rate increases when the water rates, pumping charges, or other utility charges for water purchased or used by the city increase as a result of increased charges to the city from other agencies. Such increases shall be derived from and limited solely to the increases in the rates, pumping charges, or other utility charges that the city pays for the water purchased or used.

The general manager shall provide written notice to the city council and customers of any such rate increases not less than 30 days before the effective date of the rate increases. Any such notice may be provided in the city’s regular billing statements.

F. Billing Adjustments. Billing adjustments may be made by the San Buenaventura Water general manager or designee once every five years for a premises in cases of abnormal high water usage. To qualify for a billing adjustment, a premises’ water usage must be more than twice the two-year water consumption average for that premises as calculated by San Buenaventura Water. If the abnormal high water usage is caused by one or more leaks, the leak(s) must be corrected prior to any billing adjustment. Any billing adjustment shall be made in accordance with policies established by San Buenaventura Water. (Code 1971, § 4521; Ord. No. 99-14, § 1, 5-18-99; Ord. No. 2002-09, § 1, 6-25-02; Ord. No. 2003-006, § 1, 6-23-03; Ord. No. 2004-014, § 1, 7-12-04; Ord. No. 2005-005, § 2, 7-18-05; Ord. No. 2006-011, § 1, 6-26-06; Ord. No. 2007-018, § 1, 7-23-07; Ord. No. 2008-013, § 2, 11-17-08; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 18, 6-4-12; Ord. No. 2012-016, § 2, 7-16-12; Ord. No. 2014-006, § 3, 5-19-14; Ord. No. 2015-007, § 1, 6-15-15; Ord. No. 2021-009, § 5, 5-24-21; Ord. No. 2025-017, § 3, 12-16-25)

A. Inside or Outside City Limits. Billing shall be on a monthly basis. The rate for standby water service, and any water consumed by private fire lines within the area serviced by Ventura Water and exclusively for fire protection, whether such lines be connected with automatic sprinkling systems or to hose attachments, shall be as specified in Appendix A. (Code 1971, § 4522; Ord. No. 2002-09, § 1, 6-25-02; Ord. No. 2003-006, § 2, 6-23-03; Ord. No. 2004-014, § 2, 7-12-04; Ord. No. 2005-005, § 3, 7-18-05; Ord. No. 2006-011, § 2, 6-26-06; Ord. No. 2007-018, § 2, 7-23-07; Ord. No. 2008-013, § 3, 11-17-08; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 19, 6-4-12; Ord. No. 2015-007, § 1, 6-15-15; Ord. No. 2021-009, § 6, 5-24-21)

A. Generally. Bills for all charges for water sold, furnished, supplied or delivered by Ventura Water shall be due and payable at City Hall upon the date of mailing of the bill.

If not paid 19 days thereafter, the bill shall be deemed delinquent. If not paid within 30 days after the date of mailing to the customer, a 10 percent late payment assessment will be applied to all delinquent accounts, at which time a notice of delinquency and intent to discontinue service will be mailed to the customer of record.

Every notice of termination of service shall include all of the information required in Public Utilities Code Section 10010.1(d). If payment is not received within 20 days from the mailing of the notice of delinquency and impending termination, a 10-day notice of intent to terminate water service will be delivered to the residence and placed in a conspicuous location at the premises. Charges, as specified in Appendix A, will be applied to the customer’s account.

Service will then be discontinued if payment has not been received or arrangements made to pay the delinquent bill. If payment is not made within the specified time as identified above or for any other reason relating to nonpayment of an outstanding bill or charge, including the return of a check for nonsufficient funds, a service charge as specified in Appendix A shall be charged and due and payable with respect to each time service is discontinued.

In the event the customer or a tenant of the customer submits certification from a primary care provider, as defined in Welfare and Institutions Code Section 14088, that the discontinuation of service will be life threatening or pose a serious threat to the health and safety of any resident of the premises where water service is provided, the city will not discontinue the service if the customer agrees to enter into an amortization agreement.

The city will waive interest charges on delinquent bills once every 12 months for low income customers as defined in Health and Safety Code Section 116914(b), including, but not limited to, if the customer declares that the household’s annual income is less than 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

If a residence is served by an individually metered residential service to residential occupants of a detached single-family dwelling, a multiunit residential structure, or mobile home park, and the owner, manager, or operator is the customer of record, the city will make a reasonable, good faith effort to inform the occupants, by means of written notice, when the water service account is in arrears and subject to disconnection at least 10 days before water service is shut off.

Any customer having initiated a complaint or request for an investigation within five days of receiving the disputed bill, or who has, before termination of service, made a request for an extension of the payment period of a bill asserted to be beyond the means of the customer to pay in full within the normal period for payment, shall be given an opportunity for review of the complaint or request for investigation.

The review shall include consideration of whether the customer shall be permitted to amortize any unpaid balance of delinquent account over a reasonable time not to exceed 12 months. No termination of service shall be affected for any customer complying in full with the amortization agreement. If the customer fails to comply with the amortization, the city shall discontinue service at the premises.

Should an account not be paid in full by the sixtieth day after the mailing date on the original bill, an additional penalty assessment shall be added as specified in Appendix A.

Any debt older than 75 days may be assigned to a collection agency. Any fees or interest charged by the collection agency will be added to the debt and become part of the total due.

Except as provided in Section 10009 of the Public Utilities Code, where water has been shut off, service shall not be restored until all required payments (including, without limitations, arrearage, penalties, and service charges) have been paid in full.

Partial payments shall be credited to sewer charges, if any, with any balance being credited to water charges.

Whenever a consumer has been overcharged or undercharged for water or sewer service for any reason, required retroactive adjustment will be made for a maximum period of two years from the date that the error is first determined by the city. Any overpayment to be adjusted shall be credited to the next or succeeding bills, unless other arrangements are requested and agreed upon.

B. Opening, Transferring or Changing of Service Accounts. A service charge, as specified in Appendix A, shall be charged for opening a water service account, transferring a water service account, or changing water service account information. Same day service, except in an emergency situation, to have water turned on or off during customary business hours (7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed alternate Fridays) shall result in a charge a specified in Appendix A. To have the water turned on or off at any time after hours (this includes weekends and city-observed holiday), the charge shall be as specified in Appendix A.

C. Removal of Meter and Reinstallation. In the event a customer turns on the water service or permits or causes water service to be turned on after water service has been turned off for nonpayment or noncompliance, Ventura Water shall again turn off the service and remove the meter. The customer shall pay a charge as specified in Appendix A in addition to other amounts due before water service is restored. (Code 1971, § 4523; Ord. No. 2006-009, § 6, 5-1-06; Ord. No. 2012-014, § 20, 6-4-12; Ord. No. 2015-007, § 1, 6-15-15; Ord. No. 2019-021, § 1, 12-9-19)

Funds received from the collection of charges and rentals for water shall be deposited by the Ventura Water general manager with the city treasury in the water fund. Funds from the water fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the city council, for the payment of the cost and expense of acquisition, construction, reconstruction, maintenance and operation of water facilities. (Ord. No. 2014-006, § 4, 5-19-14; Ord. No. 2015-007, § 1, 6-15-15)

Any customer who does not agree with a bill for their account pursuant to this chapter shall have the right to appeal as follows:

The appeal must be in writing, legible, and received by the general manager within 15 calendar days of the bill submitted to the customer. The written request for appeal consideration shall include:

A. A description of the reason for the appeal; and

B. Evidence supporting the appeal; and

C. A suggestion for resolution of the dispute, if any.

Within 15 calendar days of receipt of the written appeal, the general manager will notify the customer of confirmation of receipt of the appeal and a timeline for the general manager’s written independent determination of the disputed bill.

The general manager’s determination may be appealed in writing to the city manager within 15 calendar days of the mailing of the general manager’s determination. The appeal of the general manager’s determination shall be heard and considered by the city manager at a time and place set by the city manager within 30 calendar days from the city manager’s receipt of an appeal, but no public hearing is required. The city manager shall provide to the applicant notice of the time and place for the appeal hearing at the address listed in the appeal filed by the applicant. The city manager may, in their discretion, affirm, reverse, or modify the determination accordingly. The city manager’s decision shall be final. (Ord. No. 2019-021, § 2, 12-9-19)