APPLYING FOR NEW SERVICE TO A PROPERTY NOT PREVIOUSLY SERVED:

Applicants for a new service in this category should contact the District's Engineering Customer Service section (619) 670-2241.

Please be prepared with the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) for the property. Our technicians will determine if it is already eligible to receive water and/or sewer for the existing public system or if infrastructure improvements will be needed. You will also be informed of specific fees and charges related to the installation of a new meter and any other fees or conditions that may apply.

TRANSFERRING AN ACCOUNT INTO YOUR NAME:

If you have or are about to move to a property with water and/or sewer service provided by the Otay Water District, to ensure uninterrupted service, please call Customer Service at (619) 670-2777 to have the account(s) transferred into your name. There is a set-up fee for this service, which will appear on the first bill. This charge covers staff time needed to read the meter and enter the new information on our computer.

In addition to the set-up fee, renters and other non-owners applying for service will be charged a deposit due within 7 days from the start of service. The size of the meter determines the amount of the deposit, the deposit will be refunded after one year, provided the account shows no more than one late payment. For customers with more than one delinquency, or who terminate service within the first year, the closing bill will be deducted from the deposit. Any outstanding charges will be billed and any remaining deposit will be refunded to the customer.

The following working day after start of a new service a "Welcome to Otay " letter is mailed to each customer. This letter states the five basic points listed below:

1. That the water meter is owned by the Otay Water District.

2. That water service is subject to interruption and the District cannot be held liable for any damages that may result from such interruption.

3. That any water pressure regulation devices are the customer's responsibility.

4. That the customer agrees to comply with any requirement for a backflow prevention device.

5. That service may be terminated if the customer fails to pay for it.

Customers should review the information contained in this welcome letter. If you find errors with name spelling, telephone numbers please call

• (619) 670-2777

or E-mail customer service at:

• amendez@otaywater.gov

or


• ehenderson@otaywater.gov

to update information.

REGULATING WATER PRESSURE

Devices needed to regulate the pressure at a home or business are considered part of the private plumbing system and are the responsibility of the customer to install, adjust, operate and maintain. The most common device is a pressure regulator, designed to reduce higher service pressures. Very low service pressures, however, may necessitate the installation of a private "booster pump" system, which is also the customer's responsibility to install, adjust, operate and maintain.

WELLS

The Otay Water District has no regulatory authority or control over groundwater pumping. We do, however, require the installation of a District-approved backflow preventer on the service line for properties that have both a well and a connection to the public water system (see Cross-connection prevention below). Customers who wish to drill and/or operate a well on their property should contact their local land use agency for information on the necessary permits.

CROSS-CONNECTION PREVENTION

The term cross-connection refers to a condition where the public water system is exposed to contamination through a service connection to a private plumbing system or other source. Such contamination could occur if a private pump were to force water back into the public water system. This example is called back-pressure, and many of these private systems inject harmful compounds like fertilizers and industrial or pool chemicals -- things we don't want in our drinking water.

Another condition, called back-siphonage, may occur when a water main breaks, a fire hydrant gets knocked off, or even under fire-fighting demands. In these situations, normal water pressure in the mains may turn to suction which can draw private water back into the public system. In this event, even a simple garden hose that may be filling a swimming pool, in a bucket containing chemicals, or a backyard pond can become a source of contamination.

As a precaution against potential cross-connections, the District requires a certified back-flow prevention assembly be installed on all on all non-residential water service connections and any residential service where an on-site well or booster pumping system is in place. Call 670-2263 for more information about Otay's cross-connection control program.

FIRE SERVICE

Water service is provided by the District solely for use in fire hydrants or fire sprinkler systems from lines or laterals connected to the District's water mains. The monthly system charge is $21.20 per month for each connection for fire protection service.