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Frequently Asked Questions
Where does my water come from?
Today the Twentynine Palms Water District serves the city of Twentynine Palms as well as outlying areas by pumping and distributing local ground water - the only available supply. Ground water is extracted from
four subbasins surrounding the Pinto Mountain Fault. These subbasins are supplied by rainfall in the upper reaches of Joshua Tree National
Park percolating from the Pinto Mountains. The four subaquifers are located deep within the ground in the Indian Cove, Fortynine Palms,
Eastern basin and Mesquite Springs areas. Water is pumped from these subaquifers and delivered by a pipeline system.
Water pumped from the Mesquite Springs subaquifer is treated to
remove high levels of fluoride before being distributed into the
pipeline system. The Indian Cove subbasin contains five wells, the
Fortynine Palms subbasin contains four wells, the Eastern subbasin contains two
wells (one of which is non-potable), and the Mesquite Springs
subbasin contains 1 well.
How do I know if I am a District customer?
To see our boundaries, please visit the boundaries
section. If you are unable to determine whether or not you are a District customer please
contact the District.
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How do you ensure the safety and purity of my water?
In order to provide and maintain the
highest standard of healthful drinking water possible, the
District employs a stringent testing schedule for all local
water sources, based upon state and federal monitoring and
quality regulations. This testing is conducted weekly for
bacteria and fluoride, annually for radioactivity, and every
three years for pesticides, minerals, inorganic substances,
clarity, taste and odor. Please visit our water quality
section for more detailed information or contact the District.
I am a teacher in the Twentynine Palms area.
Can you provide me with water education information? The District
offers support and materials to teachers in the Twentynine Palms area within District boundaries.
From lesson plans to classroom presentations, the District's water education program has a variety of means to assist area educators teaching children about water.
Please contact the District for
additional
information or visit the water education program
page for available online resources.
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How can I do a better job conserving water?
Taking shorter showers, watering your
landscape only when necessary, fixing leaky faucets and adjusting your sprinklers are just a few suggestions to get you started. Please visit our
conservation section for more detailed information.
I'm streamlining my monthly process of paying bills. Does the
District have a program in place to help me?
The District now offers these two services to save you the hassle of writing out yet another check for your monthly household bills and maybe even save you a trip to the mailbox.
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Pay By Telephone
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Automatic ACH
If you are interested in either of these options please visit the
billing section or contact the District office.
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What should I do to prepare for water service?
Many property owners and tenants are not aware of precautions that should be taken to protect against damage to their property when water service is turned on, especially if the property is not occupied.
Please visit our preparation for water
service section for more detailed information.
What is the Water Rate?
The Water Rate that you see on your bill is a per unit charge
for the water that is actually used during each billing
cycle. The unit of measurement on which the Water Rate is
based is 1 unit = 100 cubic feet = 748 gallons. The Water
Rate supports the variable operating costs of the
District. Variable operating costs increase with customer
usage. Examples of variable operating costs are electric
bills for pumping water through the wells, maintenance and
operations, payroll for meter reading, repairs and materials for
water mains, service lines, customer meters, and mandatory water
quality testing fees. The cost for each of these items
rises proportionally with water usage. The Board of
Directors reviews the water rates annually and new rates may be
adopted to meet anticipated variable operating costs for the
upcoming year. Please refer to the Fee
Schedule for specific rate information. You may also
refer to Resolution
03-16 (Adobe PDF) for additional information.
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What is the
meter reading and billing cycle? Meter reading begins between the 5th and 7th of the month, with 8 days scheduled to complete. 3 days are scheduled by accounting for review and adjustments between the completion of meter reading and the production of the bills. 3 days are scheduled for the production and mailing of the bills. Bills are mailed by the 28th of the month. If all is going well with the mail service, you
will receive your bill close to the 1st of the month. You
may refer to the Billing and
Service section for additional information. What happens if I am late paying my bill? Customer bills not paid within 26 days after mailing are delinquent. If customer bills become delinquent the District will commence procedures to discontinue service until all District charges are paid in full. District charges which are not paid on or before the day of delinquency shall also include an administrative service charge of 10%.
At least 15 days prior to terminating water service for failure to pay delinquent charges the District shall mail to the service address a notice of the delinquency and impending termination.
For more detailed information please visit the delinquent
bills section or contact the District office.
Top What is the Ready to Serve Charge? The Ready to Serve Charge supports the
fixed operating costs of the District. Examples of fixed
operating costs are items such as telephone, electric and gas
bills, staff payroll, insurance, vehicle operation costs,
etc. Just as your household costs change due to increased
electric rates, insurance premiums and etc., the fixed operating
costs of the District also change periodically. The Board
of Directors reviews the Ready to Serve rates annually and new
rates may be adopted to meet the anticipated fixed operating
costs of the upcoming year. Please refer to the Fee
Schedule for specific rate information. You may also
refer to Resolution
03-16 (Adobe PDF) for additional information. What is the
Water Availability Assessment? The
Water Availability Assessment
(also referred to as the "29 Palms Water Standby") on your San
Bernardino County property tax bill, helps pay the costs*
incurred by the District to make water available (for any
purpose) throughout the District, whether the water is actually
used or not. These assessments are levied on all parcels
within the District boundaries excepting lands receiving
"fire only" service or those owned by the California
Bureau of Land Management. Current water availability
assessments are charged as follows: $30.00
per each parcel of one acre or less, plus $8.00 for each acre
over one acre, up to five acres, plus $7.50 for each acre over
five acres to a maximum of $1,200 per parcel. The water availability assessment is authorized by California
Water Codes 31031.7 and 31032. You may also refer to Resolution
07-14 (Adobe PDF) for additional information. A
public hearing on the proposed water availability assessments is
held before the Board of Directors each year in June at the
District offices. A written report is prepared and filed
with the Secretary of the District concerning the proposed water
availability assessments for all land within the District.
This report is made available for public inspection at the
District offices during normal business hours before the public
hearing. Property owners may mail a written protest
against the proposed assessments to the District. At the
hearing, the Board will hear and consider all objections or
protests. The public is invited to attend the
hearing. After the hearing, a proposal is made to place
the assessments on the San Bernardino County tax bill which will
be paid by property owners at the same time they pay their
general taxes. Property tax
bills are generally mailed in August/September of each
year. Payments can be made to the County Treasurer in two
installments. *These
are capital costs or operation and maintenance expenses of the
District expended in serving water, among other purposes, for
domestic consumption and property related purposes. Please
Note: The San Bernardino County Treasurer-Tax Collector's
Office charges a .30
cent fee per parcel to pay for their collection services.
The District does not receive any portion of this additional
fee. For example, if your parcel is one acre, your Water
Availability Assessment will equal $30.00 plus the County's .30
cent fee, totaling $30.30. If you have questions regarding
other items on your property tax bill please visit the San
Bernardino County Treasurer-Tax Collector's website at http://www.mytaxcollector.com/
or call their offices at 909-387-8308.
Top What
is the Fire Suppression Availability Assessment? The
Fire Suppression Availability Assessment (also referred to as
the "29 Palms Fire Special Tax") on your San Bernardino County property
tax bill, helps pay the costs incurred by the Fire
Department to provide fire protection and prevention
services. These assessments are levied on all parcels
within the District boundaries excepting lands owned by the
California Bureau of Land Management. Current fire suppression
availability assessments are charged as follows:
|
Basic Tax Amount
|
|
$80.00 for
each unit as per the unit schedule below: |
|
|
Description |
Number of Units |
|
|
Commercial
and Industrial (Building Size in Square Footage) |
|
0 - 3,000 |
|
1.0 |
|
3,001
- 6,000 |
|
2.0 |
|
6,001
- 9,000 |
|
3.0 |
|
9,001
- 12,000 |
|
4.0 |
|
|
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One
(1) unit per each additional 3,000 square foot or
portion
thereof, OR one (1) unit per Business/Occupancy,
whichever
is greater. |
|
|
|
Motel,
Hotel and Institutional (Each Rental or Living Unit) |
0.25 |
|
|
Residential |
|
Single
Family Residential Dwelling (Each Dwelling) |
1.0 |
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Duplex,
Triplex and Apartment Complex (Each Living Unit) |
1.0 |
|
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Mobile
Home Park |
1.0 |
|
(Each
Living Unit physically located within the Park on June
1st
of
each year.) |
|
|
|
Recreational
Vehicle Park (Each Space) |
1.0 |
|
(Less
30% seasonal vacancy factor.) |
|
|
Unimproved
Parcels (Each Parcel) |
.60 |
|
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Large
Parcel Amount |
|
All
parcels (improved or unimproved) greater than 5.0 acres
are assessed an
additional
amount of $2.00 per acre for each acre, or portion
thereof, in excess of 5.0
acres.
The Large Parcel Amount will not exceed the amount of
$150.00 per parcel per
fiscal
year and is in addition to the Basic Tax Amount imposed
upon any parcel greater
than
5.0 acres. |
The
fire suppression availability assessment is authorized by California
Water Codes 30000 et seq. and Government
Codes 50075 et seq., 53970
et seq., 53722,
53724
and 53739. You may also
refer to Ordinance 89
(Adobe PDF) for additional information. Please
Note: The San Bernardino County Treasurer-Tax Collector's
Office charges a .30
cent fee per parcel to pay for their collection services.
The Fire Department does not receive any portion of this additional
fee. For example, if your parcel is equal to 1.0 unit, your
Fire Suppression Availability Assessment will be $80.00 plus the
County's .30 cent fee, totaling $80.30. If you have
questions regarding other items on your property tax bill please
visit the San Bernardino County Treasurer-Tax Collector's
website at http://www.mytaxcollector.com/
or call their offices at 909-387-8308.
Top Where is my water meter? The meter for your home is generally
located near the curb in front of your home under a plastic or
concrete lid. The meter is read like an automobile odometer.
The District meters record cubic feet of water used. Each cubic foot equals 7.48 gallons.
For more detailed information please visit the meter
reading section. If you can't find your meter, or need assistance please
contact the District. How do I check for slow or invisible leaks? Turn off and leave off all water taps inside and outside your home. Record the meter reading and return in two to three hours to check for movement. If the meter reading has changed, you may have a leak. Many meters have a small red triangle on the meter face that is designed to detect even small leaks. If this red triangle is moving when you have all water off inside and outside your home, you may have a leak.
Top How can I request a water audit? Water audits are free voluntary surveys to help customers who are
experiencing unusual high water usage find ways to conserve water inside and outside their homes and businesses. These surveys can help save both water and
money. At the customer's request, a trained water auditor visits the site and teaches the customer how to read the water meter, evaluates the landscaping and irrigation system, checks for leaks and, if the customer wishes,
gives suggestions regarding the installation of water saving
devices. To request a water audit, please contact the District. How can I track my daily water usage? Read and record the meter reading on at least two consecutive days. By subtracting the previous day's reading from the current reading, you will find out how many cubic feet of water you used. By multiplying the number of cubic feet by 7.48, you will determine how many gallons of water were used.
Top Where is my pressure regulator and who is responsible for the maintenance of it? A local ordinance requires that all homes in areas that have water pressure in excess of
80 pounds per square inch feature a water pressure regulator to keep pressure at a usable level. These devices are reliable and provide years of service, but can occasionally require maintenance or replacement. Maintenance of pressure regulators are the responsibility of the homeowner.
This device can be located at the customer side of the
meter or where the water pipe enters the front of the house. Who is responsible for the maintenance of my water pipes? The
District is responsible for what is called "the street side" of the water meter, including all water mains in the street and continuing through the community distribution system.
If you notice a water leak in the street or in the area of your water meter, please
contact the District to report it. The property owner is responsible for maintenance of water pipes on the "customer side" of the water
meter, excluding the "customer valve" which is
maintained by the District. This means the interior plumbing of the home, the outside irrigation system, and the area where the property's water system connects to the water
meter (excluding the customer valve).
Top I plan on doing some minor digging or construction on my property, who do I contact to mark the water lines? Just about anywhere you dig there could be
water lines or other underground facilities. To avoid hitting them
be sure to call DigAlert
beforehand (800-227-2600) to have them marked.
DigAlert coordinates with the District and other local
utilities to offer you this service free of charge. It's a simple process to help you avoid the costly error
or hazardous situation of cutting a fiber optic cable or damaging a power line,
water line or gas main. How can I purify water if I should need to? If water is polluted, strain into a container through paper towels, paper coffee filters or several layers of clean cloth to remove any sediment or floating matter. Strain water as noted above and disinfect with a 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution (liquid household chlorine bleach) or tincture of iodine. Do not use the granular form of
household bleach, it is poisonous! To disinfect water, use the following formula:
Note: If liquid chlorine bleach is older than one year, the amount used should be doubled as it loses strength over time. Purchase an eyedropper to add bleach or iodine to the water. Use eyedropper for this purpose only. Mix well by stirring or shaking water in container. Let stand for 30 minutes. A slight chlorine odor should be detectable in the water. If not, repeat the dosage and let stand for an additional 15 minutes before using. If water can be boiled, boil at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. This should remove any harmful bacterial contamination. If you are in the mountains, add one additional minute for each 1,000 feet of altitude. Boiling longer than 5 minutes is safer, but do this only if you have the gas or fuel to spare. Water purification tablets are available in drug stores and sporting goods stores and are recommended for your first aid kit. Follow directions on package to purify water. Water purification tablets have a shelf life of 2 years and lose effectiveness if tablets get damp. Purify only enough water at a time to last a maximum of 48 hours, this will minimize chances of recontamination.
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Does
the District offer pay meters for water hauling purposes? The
District currently has two pay meters, one located near the
intersection of Utah Trl and Michels Rd and the other located
near Lear Ave and Poleline Rd.  
Pay
meter tokens can be purchased at the District office during regular
business hours for the following fees:
| Small
Token (125 gallon) |
|
Large
Token (500 gallon) |
| $0.65 |
|
$2.60 |
| 5/8"
(Garden Hose) |
|
2"
(Iron Pipe Thread) |
You may also obtain a list of local water
haulers by contacting the Twentynine
Palms Chamber of Commerce at 760-367-3445.
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