For specific questions regarding your bill, please contact our office at (209) 795-7025; or, look under “General Information” on this website; or, you can also email us at info@blsmwc.com.
Billing
Where/How Can I Pay My Bill?
** You may mail your check or money order, made payable to the Blue Lake Springs Mutual Water Company, in the pre-addressed envelope enclosed with your bill.
** If you prefer to pay in person, please bring your payment into the BLSMWC Business Office, located at 1011 Blagen Road, Arnold, CA.
** For your convenience, there is a mail slot available 24 hours a day for check and money order payments. This mail slot is located at the front entrance to the Business Office, below the BLSMWC sign, at 1011 Blagen Road, Arnold. Payments deposited through the mail slot are collected and processed at the start of the next business day.
** You may pay your bill using the BLSMWC website. Click on the “Pay My Bill” blue button (above and to the right on this website) and set up online bill pay. While there, you can also set up having your bills emailed to your email account.
** You can set up an automatic payment system through your own bank.
** You may pay your bill with a credit card through an automated telephone system set up by BLSMWC. To pay by phone, call (855) 738-2592, and have your Web Account ID number available.
The Blue Lake Springs Mutual Water Company office will no longer process credit card payments through its own phone system. Also, our office will no longer accept cash payments.
Non-Payment Of Bill
Your bill is due and payable upon presentation and becomes late after the penalty date shown on the front of the bill. After this penalty date, a late charge will be assessed on any unpaid balance and a reminder bill will be mailed. To avoid discontinuance of service and liens being placed on the property, payment must be received in the Business Office by the penalty date shown on the reminder bill.
- If BLSMWC disconnects your service for any reason (other than for emergency repairs), a notice will be placed on your door notifying you as to why the service has been disconnected. If you are having plumbing or irrigation work done at your property, please check with your plumber or landscaper to see if they have temporarily disconnected the water for repair work. Should you need assistance in determining the source of the disconnection, please call our Emergency Hotline at (209) 795-7030 anytime, day or night.
- If water service is discontinued for non-payment, re-connection charges will be assessed for costs associated with re-instating service. The serviced property will remain without water service until all charges, including re-connection charges, have been paid. A deposit may also be required to re-establish service.
- If you have a question or dispute about the charges on your bill, please call our Business Office at (209) 795-7025, between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Although further research may be required, the full amount of the bill is still due and payable under the deadlines stated on your bill. If the disputed charges are found to be incorrect, an appropriate adjustment will be made to your account.
How Are Water Rates Determined?
Water rates are determined by the Board of Directors in November each year. The Board reviews the projected new year’s expenses and income to determine any surplus or deficit. These numbers are incorporated into the new budget by resolutions/ordinances adopted by the Board of Directors.
Shareholders are charged an annual rate under the following categories: 1) Cabins with Meters, or 2) Unimproved Lots. These fixed charges cover the costs of maintenance, repair, and improvement of the water system.
The Cabins with Meters base rate is billed at $110.50 (bi-monthly) with the USDA loan billed at $38.50 (bi-monthly). This totals $149.00 every other month. ($894.00 per year.) This rate includes a bi-monthly usage of 700 cubic feet of water (5,236 gallons). The Shareholder will only be billed for additional metered water if they go over the base 700 cubic feet. For every 100 cubic feet used over 700 cubic feet, the Shareholder will be charged $1.90.
The Unimproved Lots base rate is billed at $57.00 (bi-monthly) with the USDA loan billed at $19.25 (bi-monthly). This totals $76.25 every other month. ($457.50 per year.)
On November 8, 2014, the Board of Directors approved a new rate schedule that creates a reduced rate for the second share on lots that have been legally combined. Eligible Shareholders should submit an Application for Combined Lot Rate to the Business Office requesting the reduced rate. The BLSMWC staff will review the Application and determine whether the lot fits the criteria for the reduced rate. If the Application is approved, the rate for the second share on combined lots will be $25.00 per year, billed annually. To be eligible, the Shareholder must be in good standing and will continue to pay full price for one share.
Water meters are read monthly. However, Shareholders are billed bi-monthly. Invoices are mailed out in February, April, June, August, October, and December.