Tenant Accounts No Longer Supported

At the June 17th, 2021 Board of Directors meeting, the Board adopted a new utility billing policy that has a significant impact on owner/tenant accounts:

• The District will no longer allow tenants to have an account in their name. All accounts will remain in the owner’s name.
• The District will no longer shut off water due to non-payment. Instead, the District will be utilizing the Santa Cruz County property tax roll lien as a means of collection annually for longer-term past due accounts.

The District’s previous policy still had that all water service is maintained in the name of the legal property owner.  Tenants were able to have water service put in their name once an owner account was established.  In the event a tenant account was delinquent and turned off for non-payment, the owner would be notified that the tenant account is being closed out and reverting back into the owners' responsibility. The tenant’s water service balance was converted to the owner’s account, excluding the tenant’s delinquent fees.

Owners received special notices in April 2020 and again in January 2021, notifying that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the District implemented temporary changes to the past due process.  Consistent with the Governor’s Executive Order N-42-20, the District has suspended water shutoffs for non-payment. Owners were previously notified if a tenant account was shut-off for non-payment, but due to the above, these notifications would not go out since no services are being shut-off. Owners were encouraged to contact the District for the status of their tenant account.

We understand that a change like this will take time to communicate to your tenants. The District converted all tenant accounts back into the owner’s name on 10/1/2021. This included any past due balances. Any payments on old tenant accounts have been transferred to the owner's account. 

Owners are encouraged to make sure the District has the most up-to-date billing address on file. If you would like to update your billing address, please click the link HERE to update the billing address or in care of and staff will be able to update accordingly.

Additionally, we always encourage auto pay or electronic payments. Please visit the website to sign up for auto pay or e-billing HERE.

If you or your tenant are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19, there are utility and rent relief programs that you may be eligible for. The District also offers long-term payment plans to help avoid late fees. Visit our website for more information HERE.

To see the full Utility Billing Policy, please visit the website HERE.

If you have any questions regarding this new policy, please contact Customer Service at customerservice@slvwd.com or by calling 831-338-2153. Our phones operate Monday thru Friday 9am – 12pm and 1pm – 4pm.