Water Blogged

Nestled in Sanborn County Park, in the Santa Cruz Mountains southeast of San Jose, lies Lake Ranch - a 70 million gallon water storage reservoir owned and operated by San Jose Water. You’re probably aware that there are many lakes in the Santa Cruz mountains, but did you know that this reservoir was constructed 144 years ago? It was originally built to meet the growing water demand for the town of Los Gatos.

San Jose Water (SJW) is pleased to have reached a proposed resolution with the Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division (CPED) of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding the investigation into some of our past billing practices.

In 2017, a customer brought billing concerns to our attention. The issue involved the lack of proration of monthly service charges when they changed within a billing cycle. 

The CPUC issued an Order Instituting Investigation (OII) in September 2018.  The proposed resolution to the OII provides for the following:

We are proud to serve over one million customers with high quality, life-sustaining water along with exceptional customer service. On top of that, we are always committed to supplying water that meets or surpasses all state and federal drinking standards. But what steps do we take to ensure that our water is safe, and how do we determine overall water quality? We take three main factors into account.

Understanding Your Bill: Surcharges and Service Charge Changes

WCMA Surcharge Under Consideration; Customers Have Opportunity to Provide Feedback

San Jose Water (SJW) customers will have an opportunity to weigh in on the 2018 Water Conservation Memorandum Account (WCMA) surcharge currently under consideration.

San Jose Water (SJW) has been serving the South Bay Area for over 150 years, and during that time, a lot has changed in the way of water infrastructure technology.

San Jose Water (SJW) customers may notice a small refund on their next bill.

The typical residential SJW customer with a 3/4-inch meter will receive a one-time refund of $6.36 for the proration of service charges from June 1, 2011, through December 31, 2016.  Customers with larger meters will receive refunds proportional to their meter size.

Starting January 1, 2019 your San Jose Water rates will reflect an increase in water rates recently approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). These new rates reflect an increase in operating costs and significant water system replacement costs for mains, tanks and wells that allow us to continue to provide safe and reliable water service. Effective January 1, 2019, the monthly water charges (service + quantity charges) for the typical residential customer with a 3/4-inch meter using 11 CCF (1 CCF = 748 gallons) will increase by $1.28.

December 18, 2018 UPDATE: Yesterday’s water discoloration incident is being closely monitored by SJW professionals. The initial flushing of mains was completed last night.  

If our customers continue to notice any discolored water they are encouraged to flush their lines for up to 15 minutes.  Please begin with your external faucets such as hose bibs. Then move inside to your faucets and other plumbing fixtures. Please call our Customer Service Department at (408) 279-7900 if your water does not clear up after flushing.