Frequently Asked Questions & Other Help
FAQ METERS, LINES, LEAKS MOVING TO THE AREA? WHAT'S IN THE WATER
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. How do I get to the Mt. View-Edgewood Water Company office? A: From Meridian Avenue East in Edgewood, turn east onto 32nd Street. Drive approximately one mile and we are on the right side in a residential area.
Q: What are your office hours? A: Monday through Friday, 8:00 – 4:30 (closed for lunch from 12 – 1 p.m.).
Q:
How often do you bill for water service?
A: Customers are billed
once every two months.
Q: What are your rates? A: For Water Usage we charge $0.0115 per cubic foot up to 1,000 cubic feet. For usage over 1,000 cubic feet the Water Usage rate increases to $0.0145 per cubic foot up to 2,500 cubic feet where it again increases to $0.0155 per cubic foot for usage over 2,500. Please refer to our rate schedule under Rates & Payments on the left side of our Home Page. This will also explain other bi-monthly fees such as Water Base and FP (Fire Protection). NOTE: we are a private, nonprofit member-owned company, consequently we charge only what is necessary to cover the costs of providing you water service.
Q:
How much is 1,000 cubic feet of water?
A: Approximately 7,480
gallons. To put things in perspective, imagine a block of water 10 feet
wide by 100 feet long and 1 foot deep; if you used 1,000 cubic feet of
water during a two month period the Water Usage portion of your bill
would be $11.50.
Q: How can I pay my bill? A: We accept cash and check. For payment after hours we have a night-drop box located next to our front door. We also offer and encourage the use of an automatic payment program that many people find very convenient and safe. This ensures your account will remain current should you go on vacation or do not get your mail for any reason. You are still mailed a bill allowing time for you to review all charges and dispute them if necessary. The form to sign up for this service is located under Forms & Publications on the left side menu on the Home Page.
Q:
Where is my shut-off valve? A:
It may be located in the garage or on the customer side of the
meter or underneath your front hose faucet.
It could also be in the basement or even in a hall closet.
If you are unable to locate your valve, please do not attempt to
shut the water off. Call us
and we will come out and do this as a courtesy or we will explain over
the phone how to shut off the water.
The water meter is the property of the Water Company and only
water company personnel are authorized access to water utility valves
and meters. Tampering with
water utility property is a Federal Offense and may result in fines and
discontinuance of water service. Please call us if you need your water shut-off and cannot
locate your shut-off valve.
Q:
Where is the water meter located? A:
It varies, but in most cases it is located on a Right-of-Way, a
private easement, in line with a hose faucet, or at your property corner
on the side of the house facing the street.
Q:
How do I read my meter? A:
The meters are numeric and read in sequence from left to right.
Q:
I need to temporarily turn off my water to make
repairs.
How do I do this? A:
Use the shut off valve to your home (on your side of the meter). If you cannot locate it please contact us to shut the water
off at the meter.
Q:
How do I check for a leak? A:
Turn off all fixtures in and outside of your home including lawn
sprinkler valves. Look at your meter; some have a small red or black
triangle we call a “leak detector;” if it is spinning you have a leak.
If you don’t have a leak detector write down the current read of your
meter, wait ten minutes and check the read again.
If it has changed you have a leak.
If you have a shut-off valve located at the home structure, close
it. Check the meter read in
ten minutes. If it has
changed the leak is located in your service line between the meter and
your home. If the meter
read did not change, the leak is inside your home or possibly a lawn
sprinkler valve. NOTE –
Most leaks happen in toilets and go undetected.
To check for a leak in your toilet remove the lid from the tank
and put food coloring in the tank.
Wait about ten minutes and check the bowl to see if the coloring
has made its way into it from the tank.
If so, it’s likely that the flapper valve at the bottom of the
tank needs to be replaced.
Q:
Where does the customer’s responsibility begin
and The Water Company’s end? A:
The connection at the customer’s side of the meter or premises
isolation assembly.
Q: What is Premises Isolation? A: In short, it’s a double-check valve assembly installed in a box next to the water meter (usually on the customer’s side of the meter). It is designed to prevent water flow from the customer’s property back into the mains of the Water Company as a result of back-pressure or back-siphonage. This device protects the public water supply from contamination through service connections. The Water Company is currently in the process of installing these valves at all meters, which then become part of our meter setting. The Water Company maintains and tests it annually.
Q:
I’m going to be building a new home in Edgewood;
what steps do I take to get water service? A:
Please call us prior to obtaining a building permit.
We are a nonprofit mutual water company; meaning we are owned by
our members, not by the City.
Each new member purchases a membership certificate, currently
$7,000.00, entitling them to water from our mains per the By-Laws of the
Water Company. Memberships
are transferable when property ownership changes.
There are additional fees for the service meter installation
which vary depending on the length and size of the service, and size of
the structure being built.
You can find a more detailed description of fees on our Fee Schedule in
Forms & Publications.
Q:
I just a bought a home in Edgewood.
How do I get the water membership and bill
transferred into my name? A:
Call us and let us know about the transaction and the projected
closing date. There is a
membership transfer application for the purchaser to fill out and a
transfer fee. Also, we will need the signed original membership certificate
from the seller. If the
seller is unable to locate the certificate they can complete a Lost
Affidavit form. Most often
the signing of these documents and submission of fees are handled by the
escrow agents. If you are
not using an escrow company you can complete the necessary transactions
in our office. Failure to
transfer the membership (including between family members) into the
name(s) of the property legal owner(s) will result in termination of
water service as required by our By-Laws.
Q: I just rented a home in Edgewood, how do I get the water bill transferred into my name? A: We allow billing to non-members as a courtesy to our membership (after members authorize this transaction). This involves both the member and the tenant (or Property Management Company) filling out a Rental Application and submitting it to The Water Company along with a rental deposit of $75.00 (refundable) and a $50.00 administration fee (non-refundable). The administration fee covers the cost of processing the application, updating member and customer records, and mailing of duplicate past due/shut off notices to both the member and the renter (or Property Management Company). Many members opt to have the bill sent to them and collect the water bill money from the tenant in lieu of the Rental Application (or include it as part of the rent). Regardless, the member is our customer and is responsible for the account even though they authorize a third party to receive the bill.
Q:
Where does our water come from? A:
We have a ground water system that draws water from wells in
underground aquifers. We
have ten wells that range from 100 to 419 feet deep.
Q:
What chemicals are added to our water?
A:
Absolutely none! No chlorine, no fluoride, and no pH buffers are
necessary; it is our
goal to keep our water pure for as long as possible!
Q: Is the water tested regularly? A: Yes, for your safety our water is tested at the minimum of twice monthly by taking samples from representative locations throughout the system. We sample far in excess of that which is required for compliance with health regulations. We use dedicated sampling stations distributed in all areas we serve.
Q: What are our pH levels and water hardness? A: pH level is 7.2 and our hardness is 4 grains per gallon (also stated as 70 ppm, or 70 mg/l).