I need to have the water to my house turned off for repair. What should I do?
If for any reason, your water needs to be turned off at the meter, please call us! We will be happy to come out at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no charge to you. The turn-off valve requires a special tool and can be easily damaged if the wrong tool is used. If you damage the turn-off valve, your account will be charged for the cost of the repair. So please remember – just call us at (909) 825-4128 – and we’ll take care of the rest.
I’m a new customer. How do I get the water turned on at my home?
If you are moving into a residence in our service area, all you have to do is call us at least 24 hours before you move in. One of our Customer Service Representatives will take your information and have the water account opened in your name. On the date that you specify (Monday through Friday), one of our field personnel will come to your residence, turn on the water at the meter, check the operation of the meter, and record the reading. Please make sure there are no taps open in the house and that the outside faucet is turned off. If the meter indicates that water is running when it is turned on, the field person will turn the water off and leave a door tag on your door.
The following applies to new Open Service Orders:
Owner opening service:
If you have purchased a house in our service area, just call and give us a service order. As a mutual shareholder owned water company, we require that the stock be transferred into your name. Our Stock Controller, Shari Shogren, will give you all the information needed to complete this transfer.
Tenant opening service:
When you call in, you will be given two options to have service established in your name:
1. You can come into our office and pay an $80.00 deposit, which will be held against your account until time that you close service. If you move out, the deposit will be posted against your closing bill and/or any unpaid balance. If you are due a refund, a check will be processed approximately 30 days after close of service.
2. You can come into our office and pay a non-refundable fee of $35.00 and sign a form, authorizing us to have an outside service run a credit check. If your credit report comes back “good” or “fair”, no deposit will be required. If it comes back anything but “good” or “fair”, the $80.00 refundable deposit will be required before service can be established in your name.
What is a Stock Transfer? When would I need one?
Riverside Highland Water Company is a mutual shareholder owned Water Company. All homeowners in our service area own shares of stock, and are shareholders in this company. The water stock is pertinent to the property, and entitles you to draw water from our company.
Transfer of water stock:
When an escrow is opened, the Escrow Company will send us a request for a demand. Our Stock Controller will fax a demand to include the stock transfer in the escrow. The items needed to complete the transfer are: A transfer fee of $149.00 (Paid by the buyer) An estimated closing bill fee of $80.00 (Paid by the seller) A copy of the recorded Grant Deed with the exact vesting (i.e. Husband and Wife as Joint Tenants) A sign off from the seller and their lender. Unfortunately, getting the sign off from the seller’s lender is sometimes difficult due to loans being sold or property being refinanced and the owner not notifying us. There are also times that the escrow company is not notified that there is water stock on the property and the escrow closes without the transfer of the water stock. When this happens we transfer the stock through a delinquency sale.
How the Delinquency Sale works:
On your first bill the stock assessment will be deducted from your bill. After the stock is delinquent in the sellers name for forty-five (45) days you will be asked to bring the assessment current and pay the transfer fee if it was not paid through escrow. Once that is done we will also need a copy of your recorded grant deed.
Important information for shareholders:
Annual shareholders meeting:
Each year in March, the annual shareholders meeting is held in Riverside Highland Water Company’s Board Chambers, 12374 Michigan Street, Grand Terrace, CA 92313-5602. All shareholders are welcome. A few weeks before the meeting, proxy cards are mailed out to the shareholders. It is important that any shareholder unable to attend should return their signed proxy card before the date specified.
Water bill for rented property:
As a shareholder in this water company, I’m sure you understand that revenues must equal expenses. Unfortunately, some renters feel no sense of responsibility to the company and move out, leaving a balance due on the account. When this happens, all shareholders must bear the burden of this lost revenue. Therefore, as stated in our by-laws, if your renter should move out, leaving an unpaid balance on the account, you, as the property owner, will be responsible for bringing the account current before water service can be re-established. With this in mind, you may want to consider taking a deposit to ensure payment on the account. According to the Public Utilities Code, Section 10009.6, we can only require a deposit from a renter on their credit worthiness. Therefore, effective February 1, 1990, we will offer new renters wishing to establish service in their name the option of running a credit check for a fee of $35.00, or depositing $80.00 to be applied against their closing bill.
Please make sure that you call to close service once you have rented your property, and decided that the water bill should be transferred to the tenant’s name. Failure to do so may result in you being billed for the service, if the tenant fails to call and open service.
Billing:
Our billing is done bi-monthly. Bills are mailed out during the middle of the even months, and come due around the first week of the odd month.
Water Consumption Charges “Tiered Rates”:
You are charged according to the amount of water you use based on the number of shares. The more water you use, the higher your water bill. Tiered rates reward customers using less water by charging less per unit of water.
A unit of water is 748 gallons. *The example below is based on customers with two shares. For customers with other than two shares, please contact our office at 909-825-4128 for the tiered billing based on your shares.
Tier 1: 0-40 Units of water is billed at $1.16 per unit.
Tier 2: 41-70 Units of water is billed at $1.51 per unit.
Tier 3: 71-110 Units of water is billed at $1.78 per unit.
Tier 4: 111+ Units of water is billed at $2.05 per unit.
For a guide to water rates click here
Meter Charges: This charge is based on the size of the meter, and covers the maintenance of the meter, repairs to the meter and when indicated replacement of the meter.
For a guide to domestic meter charges click here
Assessment: Assessment is billed on the number of shares held on each account. This covers the overhead expenses of running the company. Currently, assessment charges are calculated at $8.65 per share per billing.
Reg. Fee: These are fees that are assessed by the State of California and we are mandated to pass them down to the end user, which in this case, is our customer.
For information on sewer rates and fees, please contact the City of Grand Terrace at (909) 430-2201.
Requesting a Construction Meter
If a contractor needs water for a construction project, they must obtain a fire hydrant meter from Riverside Highland Water Company. The following procedure must be followed:
1. The contractor must complete and sign an application a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours prior to the time it is needed.
2. A $800.00 deposit must be paid at the time of application
3. Riverside Highland Water Company personnel will set and read the meter. Note: Once set, the contractor will not be permitted to relocate the meter.
4. The fire hydrant meter will be read and billed monthly. The bill will consist of:
A. $24.43 monthly rental fee. It can be pro-rated at $.79-$.81/day.
B. A water consumption charge at the rate of $1.55 per 100 cubic feet.
C. A meter set fee of $73.79 on first invoice.
5. The monthly billing must be paid within the twenty (20) days of receipt. If the bill is not paid, the meter will be removed and a charge of $73.79 will be assessed to reset the meter.
6. When the contractor is finished using the meter, he or she is to notify Riverside Highland Water Company to arrange for removal of the meter.
A. The meter will be read, the final water consumption charge, the pro-rated rental charge and any outstanding balance will be deducted from the deposit and the remaining deposit will be refunded.
Downloadable Spec Book