How to Pay Your Water Bill in San Juan Capistrano

Paying your water bill is an essential part of being a responsible resident in San Juan Capistrano. While it may seem like a mundane task, it’s important to pay your bill on time and utilize the payment options available to you. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about paying your San Juan Capistrano water bill.

An Overview of San Juan Capistrano’s Water Services

The city of San Juan Capistrano provides water and sewer services to residents and businesses within the city limits. The city directly bills residents and collects payment for these services.

In recent years, the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) took over management of San Juan Capistrano’s water infrastructure while the city continues to handle billing and payment collection. So when you pay your water bill to the city, that money goes towards covering SMWD’s costs to maintain and operate the water system.

San Juan Capistrano’s water comes from a mix of imported sources, like the Colorado River and Northern California, as well as local groundwater. SMWD treats and delivers the water to meet state and federal drinking water standards.

For wastewater, the city operates a sewer system that collects wastewater and conveys it to regional treatment facilities. Your sewer charges on your water bill fund the maintenance of this system.

Understanding Your Water Bill

Your monthly San Juan Capistrano water bill consists of two main charges:

• Water Usage Fee: This covers the changing costs of providing water based on how much is used each month. The fee is tiered, which means that higher levels of use are charged at higher and higher rates per unit.

• Fixed Service Charge – This helps fund fixed costs like infrastructure, operations, and capital improvements. For water, the charge depends on your meter size. For sewer, it’s based on factors like building type and number of units.

The bill may also include surcharges and adjustments. The city reads meters and bills monthly in arrears so you’re billed for the prior month’s consumption.

Review your bill carefully each month to understand the charges and monitor your consumption. High usage one month can push you into a higher tier and raise your water usage fee

Payment Options for Your Water Bill

San Juan Capistrano offers several options to pay your water bill conveniently:

Pay Online

The city allows online payments through their website. You can pay using a credit card or electronic check. You’ll need your account number and an invoice number to sign up.

Pay by Phone

To use a credit card or electronic check to pay over the phone, call (949) 493-1515 and ask to speak to the utility billing department. Have your account and invoice numbers ready.

Pay by Mail

Mail in a check or money order payable to “City of San Juan Capistrano” to:

City of San Juan Capistrano
P.O. Box 7000
Artesia, CA 90702-7000

Include your payment stub to ensure proper crediting. Allow enough time for mail delivery to avoid late fees.

Drop Box at City Hall

Place your payment (check or money order only) in an envelope with your bill stub in the drop box located in front of City Hall at:

32400 Paseo Adelanto
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

The box is accessible 24/7. Payments dropped before midnight are credited as received that day.

In Person at City Hall

During business hours, you can pay your bill in person at City Hall’s cashier’s desk. They accept cash, checks, money orders, and credit/debit cards.

City Hall is located at 324004 Paseo Adelanto in San Juan Capistrano.

Payment Deadlines and Late Fees

San Juan Capistrano water bills are due upon receipt and considered past due after 21 days.

A 10% late penalty is applied to past due balances. If your account remains delinquent for two billing cycles, the city can shut off your water service. Make sure to pay your bill in full by the due date to avoid penalties.

If you anticipate having difficulty paying on time, contact the city right away. They may be able to arrange a payment plan or point you to financial assistance programs.

Financial Help for Water Bills

If you’re having trouble covering the cost of your water and sewer bills in San Juan Capistrano, there are resources that may help:

• Payment Arrangements – The city may allow payment plans to break up large past due balances into smaller installments. Payment extensions can also provide more time to pay your current bill.

• Customer Assistance Program – Low-income SMWD customers can receive a monthly $25 credit by enrolling in this program. You must show proof of enrollment in a utility company CARE program.

• LIHEAP – This federally funded program provides utility bill assistance. San Juan Capistrano residents can apply through Community Action Partnership of Orange County.

• Leak Adjustments – You may qualify for a billing adjustment if a leak on your side of the meter leads to unusually high water use. Report leaks immediately for the best chance at an adjustment.

Reach out to the city’s utility billing department to learn more about these programs and other bill assistance options.

Changes to San Juan Capistrano Water Rates

In August 2022, SMWD implemented new water rates for San Juan Capistrano customers for the first time since 2018. These rate increases fund deferred maintenance and upgrades to the city’s aging water infrastructure.

Under the new rate schedule, average bills went up around $30 per month. The fixed monthly service charges saw the largest increases to fund capital projects. The city also added a fixed charge on property tax bills for infrastructure investments.

Higher rates reflect rising costs SMWD faces, including inflation, imported water, local water development, and deferred infrastructure improvements. Despite rate increases, San Juan Capistrano still has lower rates than many neighboring communities.

Review SMWD’s published rate schedules to see how the new rates impact your monthly water and sewer bills. Use their bill calculator to estimate your charges. And reach out to SMWD with any questions about the rate changes.

Steps to Take for a Smooth Payment Experience

Follow these tips to make paying your San Juan Capistrano water bill hassle-free:

• Review your bill and charges carefully each month. Report any issues immediately.

• Sign up for paperless billing and automatic payments to avoid missing due dates.

• Take advantage of online and phone payment options for convenience.

• If funds are tight, ask about payment plans or financial assistance programs.

• Watch for notices about rate changes and factor increases into your budget.

• Stay vigilant about leaks and other causes of high water usage.

• Provide updated contact information to the city for your account.

Paying your water bill doesn’t have to be a chore. Understanding the process and payment options makes it easy to take care of this essential responsibility as a San Juan Capistrano resident.