Water Supply

1. Why is my neighbor's water bill different than mine if we both receive water from the Sacramento County Water Agency?

Not everybody is on a flat water rate. Some residents receive metered water and their rates fluctuate with their use. (See Question 3 for more details on metered billing.)

2. My water bill is based on a metered rate. Will my rates also go up with rate increases?

Yes. When proposed rate increases are approved, all Sacramento County Water Agency customers receive a rate increase. Rate increases for metered customers are proportional to those of flat rate customers.

3. Will flat-rate customers eventually be converted to metered rates?

Yes. In 1992, Congress passed the Central Valley Project Improvement Act. In compliance with this act, Sacramento County Water Agency customers will be incrementally converted to metered water billing.

4. Will my rates go up when I convert to metered water?

In 1999, the Sacramento County Water Agency completed a water metering pilot study in the Laguna West-Lakeside communities. The results showed that 63 percent of the households participating in the study would not have had an increase in their water bill if they had been billed on a metered rate as opposed to a flat rate. Water metering rewards the customer for implementing water conservation practices.

5. What can I do to conserve water?

Water conservation is easy. Just following a few simple tips can make a big difference:

• Water when evaporation is low, between midnight and 10 a.m.
• Use a drip irrigation system to prevent wasteful runoff.
• Select water-efficient landscape plants.
• Sweep or rake up debris instead of hosing it away.
• Use a pistol-grip nozzle on your hose to prevent water from running continuously.
• Adjust your sprinkler heads to make sure water is going where it's needed and not on sidewalks and driveways. For more water conservation tips, call our water conservation hotline at (916) 875-6919 or visit our Water Conservation page.

6. How do I know my drinking water is safe?

The Sacramento County Water Agency monitors your drinking water regularly. Annually, our customers receive a consumer confidence report detailing the composition of their drinking water. Click the following link to view the Consumer Confidence Report for your area.