October 1, 2024
EBMUD urges customers with overdue bills to arrange payment options to avoid service disruptions
Utility working to bring unpaid bills current, assist customers in need
OAKLAND – The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) is urging customers with unpaid water bills to call the utility as soon as possible to make financial arrangements and avoid disruptions to their water service or the placement of liens to their properties. Customers behind on their bills can request payment extensions, enroll in a payment plan, apply for EBMUD’s Customer Assistance Program, or request other support to get current on their bills.
For those who remain in arrears, EBMUD will begin implementing its Residential Non-Payment Policy this month.
EBMUD’s policy allows the District to take steps to collect on delinquent water bills following repeated efforts to engage single-family home customers behind on their bills. Homeowners will have a lien placed on their property; renters in single-family homes will have their water flow reduced to ½ gallon per minute, enough for necessities, such as drinking, cooking and sanitation.
While about 96% of EBMUD’s customers pay their bill on time, a portion of customers have not paid their bills for several years. Implementation of EBMUD’s Residential Non-Payment Policy aims to reduce these delinquencies, bring customers current on their bills and provide assistance where needed. EBMUD is legally obligated to collect funds for services provided on behalf of 1.4 million customers in the East Bay Area.
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, EBMUD’s Board of Directors suspended water shutoffs due to non-payment of bills so customers could continue access to clean water. During the pandemic, customers received approximately $33 million in assistance from the state and federal government from Covid-related assistance for water and wastewater arrearages. Now, with federal assistance exhausted and the pandemic state of emergency concluded and some customers delinquent for four years or more, EBMUD is implementing the Residential Non-Payment Policy, which was adopted by the seven-member board in late 2020.
EBMUD understands that some customers face financial difficulties and the District offers payment plans and extensions to help customers pay back overdue balances. EBMUD recently sought a change to existing law which allows the District to go beyond the 12-month limitation for payment plan extensions for struggling customers. This gives EBMUD more flexibility to customize payment plans over a longer period of time for those customers with an undue hardship. Governor Newsom signed AB 178, which contains this change, on September 30, 2024. EBMUD’s Customer Assistance Program – the most generous in the state – helps qualifying customers receive discounted rates on their water and wastewater bills. Additionally, EBMUD works with community-based organizations to further assist customers.
If you are a customer with a delinquent bill, or have a friend or family member who is, we are ready to answer any questions. Please contact us today at 1-866-403-2683.
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The East Bay Municipal Utility District has a proud history of providing high-quality drinking water for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. EBMUD’s wastewater system serves 740,000 customers and helps protect the ecosystem of San Francisco Bay. EBMUD is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1923.