KING CITY — California Water Service (Cal Water) has announced that customers in King City received a total of $77,304 in bill credits to resolve remaining unpaid water bill balances incurred during the height of Covid-19.
Cal Water secured funding from the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program, which enabled water suppliers to apply for financial support on behalf of customers unable to pay their water bills.
In late November 2021, Cal Water had requested more than $20 million in relief from the program’s administrator, the State Water Resources Control Board, for customers with past-due balances incurred between March 4, 2020, and June 15, 2021, across its service areas.
The utility received the requested funding amount and applied credits to affected customers’ accounts at the end of March. Customers were notified directly if a credit was applied to their accounts.
“At Cal Water, we recognize the financial impact Covid-19 has had on many of our customers. To reduce the burden caused by the pandemic, we applied for funding from the State of California to help offset customers’ past-due balances incurred during the pandemic,” said Local Manager Marc Bloom. “We believe that these credits will help give piece of mind to many of our customers who continue to struggle financially and encourage them to apply for our other financial assistance programs, if needed.”
Customers with remaining balances that pre-date the pandemic or have accrued after June 15, 2021, can take advantage of Cal Water’s interest- and penalty-free payment plans or extensions, subject to certain terms and conditions, to help prevent them from becoming subject to potential disruptions in water service in the future.
Income-eligible customers may also enroll in Cal Water’s Customer Assistance Program, which provides qualifying customers a discount on their monthly service charge.
Cal Water serves approximately 15,400 people through 3,000 service connections in King City, and has provided water service in the area since 1962. For more information about the utility or its services and programs, visit calwater.com.
