Frequently Asked Questions

Every agency has different rates based on numerous factors such as water source, number of customers, treatment needs and capital improvement projects. Hi-Desert Water District imports supplemental water from the State Water Project, an additional cost included in our rates that will differ from an agency that relies entirely on local water pumped from the ground.

The revenue is used to pay for expenses directly related to providing water to your home or business. Costs include electricity for pumping, purchased water, meter reading, and administrative expenses, treatment, maintenance and replacement of pumps and pipes. As a government agency, the Hi-Desert Water District cannot earn a profit from the services it provides and must charge no more than the actual costs associated with providing services to its customers.

Employees in the field do not have computers to access customer information and do not carry money for such transactions. Payments may be made at the District office, where the Customer Service Department uses computers to post payments on customer accounts and generate receipts.

Monies collected from the Service Charge on your water bill cover the day-to-day expenses such as meter reading, water quality testing, emergency repair, and payment processing.

Every charge on your water bill remains the same each month except the water rate, which varies with the amount of water you use. The water you use is measured in 100 cubic feet or HCF (1 HCF equals 748 gallons). Customers are only charged for a full unit, so if you use an additional 99 cubic feet compared to the previous month, your water bill will remain the same.

Every residential customer pays the same rate for water; however, the Water Charge on a bill varies according to water usage. The District uses Conservation-Based Rates, which increase as more water is used. The customer who uses more pays more.

Yes. Customers with financial difficulties or who receive a large water bill resulting from a water leak may establish an interest-free payment plan with the District. Terms are on a case-by-case basis; all payment arrangements must be in writing and signed by the customer.

The date of the water bill is determined by the date the water meters are read. Meter readings are grouped together by the physical location of water meters and meter reading routes. When the water bills are grouped together, the District saves money in postage because of the bulk rate discount.

When the District receives a returned check, staff time is used in an attempt to collect those funds by making contact with the customer. The returned check charge of $25 is used to offset a portion of that expense. The bank also charges the District for all returned checks.

Yes, an automatic payment deduction can be set up for checking accounts or bank cards. If you are interested in setting up automatic payments, simply register your account, verify your email address and set up AutoPay.

Yes, the District accepts credit card payments in the lobby or online. An automated credit card payment option is also available by phone. A fee for credit card payments will apply.

The District charges a late fee of 10% of the balance for the first 30 days (minimum $10). The fee covers the cost of labor for mailing reminder notices.

The best way to lower your water bill is to reduce your water usage. It is important to fix all leaks immediately. If you suspect you have a leak or your water bill is unusually high, contact the District for a free water audit. A field representative will visit your property and help check for leaks and provide other conservation tips. For more information call customer service at 760-365-8333.

Yes, an automatic payment deduction can be set up for checking accounts. If you are interested in setting up automatic payments simply complete the Auto-Pay application online. Learn more about your bill and payment options.

The delinquency charge covers the cost of labor for mailing reminder notices and delivering door hangers to delinquent customers. The late charge encourages customers to pay their water bills on time.

Absolutely. All drinking water we serve meets or exceeds government health and safety standards. Hi-Desert Water District (HDWD) performs hundreds of water tests each year for bacteria and other regulated contaminants. The results of that sampling are included in an annual water quality report that the District mails to every customer by June. In addition, copies are available at the District office and on the website. 

View Water Quality Reports.

The District is required by the State Department of Health Services to chlorinate water to kill bacteria. By maintaining a chlorine residual, the District can better assure that safe and clean water is delivered to our customers. Water is chlorinated 24 hours per day as required. After leaks or other systems upset, the District will often increase chlorine to make sure the water remains safe.

Cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles and is completely harmless. If you pour a glass of cloudy water, the air will rise and dissipate within a few minutes. The water is safe to drink and meets all quality standards.

You may notice the taste or smell of chlorine in the water, which is not harmful. Pipes inside your home can also affect tap water. Groundwater, which interacts with rocks and sediments as it moves, can impact the taste. Customers are encouraged to call the District for all issues related to water quality. A certified water quality technician will contact you regarding your concerns.

All meters, even those on vacant land, are read on a monthly basis. The meter reading is recorded by Hi-Desert Water District staff using a computerized, handheld device.

Water meters are typically found at the edge of the street, in front of a home. However, there are exceptions where your water meter may be at a distance if a long service line was required from the District's mainline to your home. Please contact Customer Service if assistance is needed to locate the water meter.

Different types of work orders completed in the field are routed for efficiency according to location. It is difficult to predict the exact time a work order will be completed as each job requires a different amount of time.

The service line after the meter is considered private property. The District is only responsible for repairs and water loss up to and including the customer's shut-off valve located in the meter box, which belongs to the District. Beyond the shut-off valve, all repairs and water loss are the customer's responsibility.

If you believe your water pressure is too high or too low, there are three options for checking the pressure:

• Contact a plumber
• Participate in the District's Household Water Awareness Program
• Purchase a pressure gauge and check the pressure at a hose bib

• Certificates of Participation: Paid
• Farmers Home Administration Number 1: Paid
• Farmers Home Administration Number 2: Paid
• Morongo Basin Pipeline: Paid
• Recharge Facilities: Paid
• Safe Drinking Water Bond Loan: Paid
• Assessment District 2014-1 Phase 1 Sewer Project: 2045

The property owner is responsible for complying with the District's retrofit requirements. However, enforcement requires that the water service be shut off at the subject property if the low-flow fixtures have not been installed. If you installed these devices, you may want to contact the property owner about reimbursement.

If this was a particularly hot year, it is likely your water use increased for things like irrigation and filling and maintaining a swimming pool. As much as three-quarters of a home's water is used outside. For a free water audit and advice on reducing consumption, the District offers a Household Water Awareness Program. An appointment can be made by contacting Customer Service at 760-365-8333.

Most District water meters have a small red triangle known as a tattletale. This tattletale spins if the slightest amount of water flows through the meter. It is recommended that you shut off all the water inside and outside your home. When you are sure everything is off, check the tattletale. If it is spinning, you may have a leak.

The Board meets the first and third Wednesday of each month beginning at 4:00 pm in the District’s Board room located at 55439 29 Palms Highway. Public input is welcomed and encouraged.

The District offers the following programs:

• Household Water Awareness Program (PDF) - Where, by appointment, a representative provides advice on conserving water.
• Toilet Rebate Program (PDF) - Qualified Hi-Desert Water District customers can apply to receive funds for replacing an inefficient toilet with a new low-flow toilet.

The District's lobby features free water conservation products for customers: water bottles, water-saving hose nozzles, and collapsible pet bowls. Supplies are restocked Monday mornings. Additionally, customers may request a free water efficient showerhead by emailing the Hi-Desert Water District or calling 760-365-8333.

Property owners pay annually on their property tax bill, listed as the Assessment District 2014-1.  This assessment district serves as security for a loan from the State Revolving Fund.  Payments will be made over 30 years on the property taxes at a low-interest rate of 1%.

Phase 2 has been combined with Phase 3 and is now one project.  Phase 2 Sewer Project is estimated to cost over $180 million. The District has received a grant for almost $104 million to expand the sewer collection system to parts of Phase 2. This grant will not need to be paid back and will not required an additional assessment district, saving property owners over $30,000 for each residential property.  Property owners will still need to pay to connect to the system which includes the permit(s), cost to pump, abandon the septic system, install the line from the structure to connect to the sewer system at the street. Property owners can pay cash, finance through private financing or seek assistance through the USDA 504 Home Repair Loan Program Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in California | Rural Development. 

The assessment on an owner’s property will transfer with the title to the new property owner.  Current year payments are pro-rated and calculated through escrow. 

We need a wastewater collection and treatment system to protect groundwater quality and comply with a State mandate prohibiting discharge from septic tanks in our area. Septic system discharge has been slowly degrading local water quality for decades. Nitrates and other contaminants from septic system discharge are currently reaching groundwater.

California Regional Water Quality Control Board

The California Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a septic discharge prohibition in parts of Yucca Valley. Colorado River Basin Planning | Colorado River Regional Water Quality Control Board. If property owners continue to discharge beyond the time allowed to connect to the sewer system, they may be fined up to $5,000 daily by the State Board. The sewer collection system is a solution that will ensure compliance and protect groundwater quality at the lowest possible cost. Other options for wastewater treatment such as package treatment systems are very expensive to operate.  A centralized sewer collection system and treatment plant is most cost effective in the long run to protect our groundwater basin from the continued use of septic systems.

Septic systems separate the solids into the chambers and discharge wastewater through a leach field to percolates into the ground. Wastewater is filtered by the ground, but still contains nitrates, caffeine, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants that are absorbed into the soil that can eventually reach the groundwater. Overtime these build up in the soil and can result in water quality issues. These contaminants degrade the quality of our aquifer over time. Even though we import water from the State Water Project, the water is stored in the ground. Hi-Desert Water District relies on this stored groundwater from the aquifer to deliver clean, safe drinking water to your home.

A centralized sewer system allows Yucca Valley to reduce dependance on septic systems in areas closest to the groundwater. Septic systems can have a negative environmental impacts on water quality.  The sewer system collects wastewater and delivers it to a treatment plant, where it will be processed and treated until it is clean enough to be recharged into the aquifer without compromising water quality.

According to its revised Basin Plan amendment, the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board has extended the prohibition dates in the Town of Yucca Valley for Phase 2 (now combined with Phase 3) to December 31, 2031.  Phase 1 properties are already required to connect unless their properties have received a deferral or exemption. Colorado River Basin Planning | Colorado River Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The Regional Board's Enforcement Staff will implement prompt, consistent, fair, and progressive enforcement to bring anyone who fails to stop discharging into compliance. The following can be used against individual property owners:

• Cease and Desist Orders
• Civil Liability Complaints
• Cleanup and Abatement Orders
• Fines of up to $5,000 Per Day
• Non-compliance letters

The prohibitions will take effect whether or not the Wastewater Reclamation Project moves forward. If the project does not move ahead, property owners would be required to comply with the mandate individually or face enforcement actions. Hi-Desert Water District is attempting to create a community-wide solution.

The Regional Water Quality Control Board requires us to protect the groundwater supply, not just treat water before delivering it. Because treating the water at the wells would not address the potentially irreversible contamination of the groundwater supply, this method will not solve our problem, and the Regional Board will not allow it.

Modern wastewater treatment facilities use a number of technologies that effectively minimize odors. Hi-Desert Water District’s new facility would utilize these advancements, resulting in very few odor problems.

It will be returned to our groundwater supply through on-site recharge ponds and will be extracted at a later date through a production well.

Property owners will be responsible to install the private property connection (the connection from the home to the main sewer pipes). A notification to begin the connection process will be sent to property owners six months prior to having to connect their properties.

All customers are required to connect to the sewer system when it becomes available. Property owners will have a choice to hire a contractor to connect their properties to the sewer mains installed within the streets. Property owners are responsible for the cost. It is recommended to obtain multiple bids and verify that the contractor(s) are reputable, licensed, and insured.  Property owners may do the work themselves if they get the proper permits, complete the work to code, and pass the final inspections from the Town and the water district. Property owners who do not have the cash to connect can seek private financing through a bank or contractor offering such options. Low-income property owners may qualify for the USDA 504 home repair loan program. https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants-9

Connections to the sewer system will begin once the property receives a notice of availability from the Hi-Desert Water District, which will provide a minimum of 180 days to connect.

In most cases, your current septic system would be left in service until the new connection is ready. It often takes only a single day to install a collection line that runs from a home or business to the property line and to abandon the septic system on site.

The efficiency of the process means that a typical home or business would only be out of service for 15 to 30 minutes.

The Town of Yucca Valley’s Building Department is currently working on developing the permit and inspection requirements.

Yes, property owners can complete their own connection as long as they obtain necessary permits, the work is completed to code, and are able to pass the final inspection completed by the Town and water district. 

The cost of hooking up to the sewer is the responsibility of the property owner. Property owners may wish to seek private financing to pay for their sewer connection to avoid having to pay cash. Options for financing may include home equity line of credit or other property secured financing.  Some contractors offer financing.  Another program that may help low-income property owners finance their connection is the USDA 504 Home Repair Program. 

Connecting to the sewer in a timely manner is essential to meeting the Regional Water Quality Control Board's discharge prohibition requirements for your property, as well as to start the new sewer system. An extension can be requested by filling out a form and submitting it to the District. If an extension is not granted, then the Regional Water Quality Control Board will be in contact with the property owner.

If you are 62 years of age or older, occupy your single-family residence and meet eligibility requirements you may be eligible to receive a 504 grant through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in California | Rural Development https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants-9

Yes. Once you connect, you will be responsible for paying the annual or monthly Operations and Maintenance Fee for using the sewer. Between the time you connect up until the following cut-off date of June 30th (the District will submit property tax information to the County by August), the fee will be temporarily charged on the water bill before it starts to be collected through property taxes.

The Estimated Monthly Maintenance & Operation Fees

• Commercial contact the District (Billed monthly on water bill)
• Mobile Homes per unit (MHP) (all billed annually on property taxes)
• Multi-Family Residences per unit (MFR)
• Single Family Residences (EDU)

Estimated Monthly Maintenance Fees

Rates & Fees | Hi-Desert Water District, CA