Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who do I call in case of an emergency?
2. When should my bill be paid?
3. Why is there a base charge?
6. What does "final bill" mean?
7. Does the District accept credit cards?
8. What methods of payment are accepted?
9. Why is there a past due amount on my bill when I already paid?
11. Where do water and sewer lines run?
12. Does the District deal with trash?
13. Where should I go for electric, gas or other utilities?
14. What's the average bill on a property?
16. Is brown water safe to drink?
17. Why does the water occasionally smell or taste bad?
18. Is bad tasting or smelling water safe to drink?
19. What should my water pressure be?
20. Why do my pipes hum or buzz?
21. How often is the water tested?
22. Who pays for repair to the road?
23. Who has meter and backflow responsibilities?
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1. Who do I call in case of an emergency?
In the event of an emergency, the District maintains 24-hour on-call coverage to assist you. You may reach the on-call operator during business hours by calling (719) 488-2525 ext. 0 or after-hours by calling (719) 488-2525 ext. 3. The on-call operator should respond to your call within 30 minutes. If you have not heard from the on-call operator, you may contact the Woodmoor Fire Department 488-3303 and they can contact the WWSD operations personnel.
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2. When should my bill be paid?
Bills are mailed out on or around the 10 th of each month are due on receipt and are past due after the last day of the month.
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3. Why is there a base charge?
The District has a base monthly charge which reflects the amount it costs the District to open its doors to serve you. 2011 Rate Schedule top
4. What is an ASC charge?
The Availability of Service Charge (ASC) is a flat fee charged to owners of vacant lots for available lines that are not being used.
5. Why is my bill so high?
Water meters operate with water flow. They seldom miscalculate your usage measurement. It is more likely that a water meter would actually read less water than is actually used, due to mechanical wear. If you believe that your water bill is too high, you should first check for a water leak in your home.
6. What does "final bill" mean?
When you move from your home, a final bill will be rendered for the portion of the month that you lived in your house. If you have sold your house, an estimated amount will be collected at closing. After that, you will either receive a small bill or a refund check when the actual calculation has been made. Please be sure that we have your forwarding address.
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7. Does the District accept credit cards?
The District does not accept credit cards at this time.
8. What methods of payment are accepted?
The District accepts payment in the form of cash, personal check, money order, or autodraft.
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9. Why is there a past due amount on my bill when I already paid?
This simply means that the District did not receive payment for the previous bill when the calculations for the current bill were made. This does not necessarily mean that your payment was not received before the bill was sent, but it was not available when the calculations were done.
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10. Are tap fees paid?
Should you have any questions regarding tap fees, please Contact Us.
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11. Where do water and sewer lines run?
If you are installing a new service or just planting trees or landscaping, the law requires you to call before you dig.
12. Does the District deal with trash?
The District provides only water and sewer services to the properties within the District boundaries.
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13. Where should I go for electric, gas or other utilities?
- Cable Television: Comcast Cable (719) 264-1381
- Electricity: Mountain View Electric (719) 495-2283
- Natural Gas: Black Hills Energy (888) 890-5554
- Road Maintenance: El Paso County DOT (719) 572-5147
- Telephone: Qwest Communications (800) 244-1111
- Trash Service: Tri-Lakes Disposal (719) 495-8652
14. What's the average bill on a property?
The average usage on a property varies with different family sizes and water use habits, including outdoor watering. Currently the average usage bill is $69.08.
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15. Why is my water brown?
Occasionally you may have experienced a problem with a yellow or brownish color to the water. This discoloration is caused by the iron residual that remains in the water even after treatment. This problem can occur when there is an unusual demand such as a water main break, use of a fire hydrant, or unusually high consumption throughout the community. When you report this to our operations department, the affected area can be flushed out. After the system has been flushed, you will need to flush your pipes by running a cold-water tap for a few minutes or until clear. If this should happen when you are doing laundry and your clothing is discolored, the clothes should be re-washed, after you have flushed your pipes, using the additive "Rover" or "iron-out", which The District will provide at your request.
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16. Is brown water safe to drink?
Yes, iron removal is a secondary water quality standard as it is more an aesthetic quality and does not affect the safety of the water for consumption.
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17. Why does the water occasionally smell or taste bad?
The source of water will usually have the most influence on how water tastes or smells. The District pumps its water from underground aquifers and the soils that the aquifers are composed of will give the water its characteristics. The Arapahoe aquifer is higher in iron and manganese, which hint of a more metallic taste than say a stream, lake or other surface water source. The reduction of iron and manganese are controlled in the treatment process using potassium permanganate and chlorine, which is also the primary disinfectant to the water. If the chlorine level or residual drops below a certain level in the distribution system, it can actually develop an odor and a bitter taste. This can be corrected by adjusting the chlorine feed and an isolated flushing of the distribution system.
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18. Is bad tasting or smelling water safe to drink?
While it may be unpleasant, it is safe to drink.
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19. What should my water pressure be?
The water pressure in the house should be 55 psi.
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20. Why do my pipes hum or buzz?
If you are experiencing problems with low pressure, humming or buzzing pipes, it is more than likely caused by a faulty pressure reducing valve (PRV). The PRV reduces the pressure from the main distribution system into your home. The recommended household pressure is around 55 psi. The PRV is installed immediately where the service line enters your home (in the area of the water heater and the indoor water meter). When the PRV fails, the pressure in your home can no longer be adjusted, and the PRV should be replaced.
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21. How often is the water tested?
The water is tested daily to maintain a chlorine residual in the system and to evaluate treatment process control. We are required to test monthly for bacteriological monitoring according to an approved sample plan. A more extensive monitoring schedule, established by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, is required to comply with the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) and the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations (CPDWR). Those results are published and distributed annually to you in the Consumer Confidence Report.
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22. Who pays for repairs to roads?
In the event the road should be damaged when making repairs to the Districts pipelines or facilities, the District incurs the cost of repairing the road to El Paso County standards. If a contractor or homeowner is required to tap into the Districts' pipelines, then they must make repairs according to El Paso County standards.
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23. Who has meter and backflow responsibilities?
The Districts Rules and Regulations require that the homeowner is responsible for the water service line beginning at the property line to include the curb stop shut off and all interior plumbing including the PRV, the backflow device, the water hammer device, and the water meter. The District is more than willing to help its customers identify a problem but the cost to make repairs is the responsibility of the customer.
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