FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Customer Service & Billing

Our office is located at 6767 Spring Road, Moorpark, CA 93021

Rates are per-unit prices that calculate cost by multiplying a per-unit rate by the number of units used. Fees are fixed amounts charged for specific services, such as late payment fees or shut-off notice fees.

To view our current sewer and reclaimed water rate, please visit https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/ratesandcharges/.

California Proposition 26 granted municipalities the authority to impose rates and fees for services and activities provided. A rate or fee may not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service or performing the activity. All rates and fees are approved by the Board of Ventura County Waterworks Districts and posted on https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/ratesandcharges/.

Miscellaneous rates and fees are comprised of direct labor, overhead, task time, mileage, equipment, materials, contract services, utilities, and cost allocation of indirect expenses, including legislative and central services costs. These fees are calculated to achieve 100% cost recovery and are adjusted annually to reflect changes in labor expenses. Furthermore, they are reviewed every five years to ensure they keep pace with the overall cost of providing the service, as well as any changes in operational methods or service levels.

The following example provides a simplified overview of a miscellaneous fee calculation:  

1. Shut-Off Notice Rates:  

  • Operations Staff Labor: (87.17 dollars per hour) x (task time of 15 minutes x 1/60 hour per minutes) = $21.79.
  • Administration Staff Labor: (63.77 dollars per hour) x (task time of 10 minutes x 1/60 hour per minutes) = $10.63.   
  • Total Staff Labor: $21.79 + $10.63 = $32.42

2. Cost of Materials:

  • Printing a Door Hanger: $2.00

3. Travel Time

  • One Round Trip: (15 miles) x (0.575 dollars per miles) = $8.63     

4. Total Fee: $32.42 + $2.00 + $8.63 = $43.05 ~ $43.00 

“HCF” stands for Hundred Cubit Feet. Each HCF approximately equals to 748 gallons of water (1 HCF = 748 gallons). For example,

1. To convert 10 gallons to HCF:

  • 10 gallons x (1/748 HCF per gallons) = 0.0134 HCF

2. To convert 10 HCF to gallons:

  • 10 HCF x (748 gallons per HCF) = 7,480 gallons

Rates are comprised of three components: (1) a monthly service fee, which is a fixed fee based on the size of meter serving a property and is intended to recover costs related to meter reading and maintenance, customer service and billing, and a portion of capacity-related costs; (2) a commodity rate that recovers all remaining costs associated with water supply and production, base delivery, and extra capacity; and (3) a monthly private fire line charge that is only charged to customers who require a private fire service meter.

Sewer fixed rates are comprised of a monthly service charge. The charge is based on changes to the cost of providing sewer service. The rates are based on the cost of the wastewater treatment processes, costs of operations and maintenance of sanitary sewer infrastructure, repairs, replacements, and upgrades, as well as compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements. Rates are proposed and approved by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. The rate is multiplied by the equivalent residential unit (ERU) assigned to service classification. For example, a service classification of residential is assigned an ERU or 1 x $28.00 (fiscal year 2021-2022 approved rate) for a Moorpark customer. To view other ERU by classification see Part 7 of District Rules and Regulations posted at https://s47609.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20210914_RulesRegs_BoardApproved_WebSite_JF_Version2.pdf

Yes. Revenue collected from water/sewer water rates can only be used for water/sewer-related services and infrastructure improvements.

Planned improvements include replacing aging sewer pipelines, upgrading treatment facilities, improving recycled water infrastructure, replacing critical equipment, and strengthening the system to better withstand storms, power outages, and other emergencies. To view projects, please visit https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/engineeringanddevelopment/.

As a customer you have several options to pay your bill:

  1. Online: Pay online at https://www.invoicecloud.com/portal/(S(xxp2uwefodiczn2dx5lid2jv))/2/Site2.aspx?G=63206c60-eb6a-40f0-868a-86d823090047.
  2. By phone: Call 855.844.0357 (A convenience fee may apply).
  3. By mail: Mail your payment to Water and Sanitation Payment Processing Center,163 D’Arcy Parkway, Lathrop, CA 95330.
  4. In person: You can pay your bill in person at our office located at 6767 Spring Road, Moorpark, CA 93020. We also have an on-site drop box for after hour payments.

For more information about how to pay your bill, please visit https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/customerservice/.

Our policy governing discontinuation of residential water service for nonpayment can be viewed at https://s47609.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SB998_English.pdf. 

You can also view the policy in different languages under State of California SB998 at https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/legislation/. 

Engineering and Development

Ventura County Public Works Agency, Water and Sanitation Department (VCPWA-WSD) does not provide service to the entire County.  VCPWA-WSD provides water service for the Ventura County Waterworks District (VCWWD) Nos. 1 (Moorpark), 17 (Bell Canyon), 19 (Somis), and 38 (Lake Sherwood). VCPWA-WSD also provides sewer service for the VCWWD Nos. 1 (Moorpark) and 16 (Piru), County Service Area Nos. 29 (North Coast), 30 (Nyeland Acres), and 34 (El-Rio), and the Camarillo Utility Enterprise (CUE).

Please email your request with a detailed description of the location to WSDevelop@venturacounty.gov for processing. 

No, we only accept cash or check. Please make checks payable to Ventura County Public Works Agency, Water and Sanitation Department.  

Operations and Maintenance

To track your water usage, you can utilize our AMI Customer Portal.  This portal is available to all customers free of charge, and it is a great way to monitor your water use.  For more information about how to sign up for our customer portal please visit https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/customerportal/. 

Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI) allows water meters to be read remotely.  With the capability of offering near real-time data, AMI allows us to view up-to-date water usage at any time during the billing cycle.  

AMI utilizes the FlexNet® communication network which operates on a dedicated radio spectrum and is protected by law from interference. The FlexNet® communication network is based on licensed spectrum providing its own built-in, multi-layered security shield—in which all layers are active all the time to protect data at rest and in transmission.

You can visit our AMI Customer Portal webpage for more information here: https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/customerportal/ 

You can also visit the AMI FAQ webpage here: https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/2019/09/09/ami-faqs/ 

The meters use electronic registers that are guaranteed by the manufacturer to be accurate. The meter technology has been tested by manufacturers and implemented in many large water utilities through the country. All meters are tested by the manufacturer prior to leaving the factory.​

If you suspect there is a possible leak, you can login to the Customer Portal and view your hourly water usage history. Spikes in water usage, especially in the middle of the night, that indicate unusual water usage and/or continuous hourly water usage could indicate a possible leak. 

If you are experiencing problems with your water service, please contact our office to initiate a service request at 805.378.3000 or send email to wscs@venturacounty.gov. 

PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST

Please visit https://ventura.nextrequest.com/ and complete the relevant application.

Water Conservation

The Districts are required by Article X, Section 2 of the California Constitution to prohibit the waste of water. Water Code Section 350, et seq. requires the distributor of public water supply to declare a water shortage emergency exists if demands of water consumers cannot be satisfied without depleting the water supply needed for human consumption, sanitation, and fire protection. Upon making such a declaration, the water supplier is authorized to adopt regulations that will conserve water for the greatest public benefit. Water Code Section 375, et seq. authorizes retail and wholesale water providers to adopt water and enforce conservation programs which may include water-use limitations and civil and criminal penalties for violating such programs.

If you suspect someone is wasting water you can submit a report for suspected water waste online using https://iframe.publicstuff.com/#?client_id=1000149&request_type_id=1011915.

For information regarding all the different rebates available, please visit https://socalwatersmart.com/en/residential/.

For information regarding water conservation efforts in our area and water conservation tips and ideas, please visit https://publicworks.venturacounty.gov/wsd/waterconservation/. 

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