| Frequently Asked Questions |
1) Where is my water meter located?
The water meter is generally located in front of the property at the street. The meter sits underground in a concrete box with a removable cover that reads, "Water" or "Water Meter".
2) How do I read my water meter?
The register on the meter has numbers and a sweep hand. In the center of the register are dials with numbers similar to the odometer on an automobile. We read the numbers from left to right, but only the first 4 numbers. We do not use the numbers in black for reading purposes.
3) How can I tell if I have a leak in my plumbing?
Make sure the washing machine, dishwasher, faucets, hoses, and sprinklers are all turned off. Then, check the water meter register located inside the meter box. The meter box is usually found in the parkway near the street. There will be either a red sweep hand or a red triangle to use as a 'leak indicator.' If there is no leak, the red indicator will be stationary because no water is passing through the meter. If the red indicator is rotating, water is passing through the meter, which could indicate a leak on the property.
4) How can I turn off the water in case of a leak or emergency?
Most water meters are equipped with a customer valve that can be used to turn off the water supply at the meter. The customer valve is located on the house side of the meter and, when turned off, will stop the water supply to the property.
5) Why is my water sometimes cloudy?
If your water appears cloudy or milky, it is usually due to tiny air bubbles in the water. If you let the water stand, the bubbles will clear in a short amount of time. Cloudy water usually occurs when air is temporarily trapped in the water lines and will typically clear once all the air has dissipated.
6) What is the best time to water my lawn?
The best time for watering is in the early morning. The cooler temperature reduces the amount of evaporation.
7) Can I set up my account to be paid automatically, and can I pay by credit card?
Currently, only cash, checks, or money orders can be used to pay your water bill. Payments can be made either by mail or in person at one of our offices. The Districts are exploring the possibility of accepting credit card payments in the near future.
8) Where can I pay my water bill?
Your water bill can be paid in person at any of our offices. Our offices are located at:
900 South Fremont Avenue, Alhambra, CA in the cashier's office
23533 West Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA
260 East Avenue K - 8, Lancaster, CA
9) How many gallons of water is represented by each "unit" on the water bill?
Each billing unit is 100 cubic feet of water which is equal to 748 gallons.
10) Why does LA County Waterworks Districts not offer reduced rates to "Low-income customer"?
The Waterworks Districts operations are entirely funded by the water rates. They do not receive funding from the County General fund. Consequently, any type of rate reduction to certain customers would require a rate increase on the other customers to subsidize the reduced rates. The Waterworks District rates in the Antelope Valley are very comparable to other water companies in the area and are much less than water rates paid by customers in the Los Angeles basin areas.
The Waterworks District does offer a 10% discounted rate to customers that conserve water and use less that 4,000 cubic feet of water within a two month billing cycle period.
11) Are your water bills considered public record?
The account records for the Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts are confidential. The confidentiality clause in the Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts Rules and Regulations state that individual customer applications, billing and payment records are not public record and cannot be released. The only exceptions are release under a court order, or written authorization of the account holder.
12) How can I put the water bill under a different name?
If you are the owner of the property and want to establish water service in your name, you must complete and sign an application for service. Also, as part of the application for service, you must provide proof of ownership. The most common proof is a copy of the Recorded Grant Deed for the property to be serviced.
If you have already established water service in your name, and want the water bill go to a tenant or another payor, a new application for water service must be completed and jointly signed by both the owner and tenant. The water bill can be prorated to the date of occupancy.
It should be pointed out that the owner of the property to be serviced is ultimately responsible for the account, even if the bills are sent to another payor. The owner will receive "owner bill" copies of all bills and notices that go to the service address.
Please contact the Lancaster Office at (661) 942 - 1157 for additional information, or if you would like to have the forms faxed or mailed to you. Residents in our Malibu, Marina Del Rey, or Kagel Canyon service areas may wish to contact our Malibu Office at (310) 456-6621.
13) Does "Water Standby" direct assessments apply to developed as well as undeveloped properties?
Water standby charges apply to all parcels, whether developed or not. State law does, however, provide for limited exemptions covering schools and cemeteries.
14) Where does LA County Waterworks Districts get the potable water that it supplies Lancaster with?
The Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts has two sources of supply for our Waterworks District No. 40 which supplies the greater part of Antelope Valley, including Lancaster.
The two sources are groundwater and imported water that we receive through the State Aqueduct. We purchase our imported water from the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency,(AVEK) and we pump water from our own wells throughout the Valley.
15) We have very low water pressure. If we have the sprinklers or the washing machine on then we have just a trickle coming from the faucets in the house. Is this normal? Can we fix it?
There could be several reasons for your low pressure. If you have an older house, you may have a galvanized steel house line (instead of a copper line which is commonly installed in newer houses). With age, a galvanized line will deteriorate and may cause a decrease in pressure.
Another possible reason for your low pressure is that if your houseline is very small (i.e. less than one inch), your line may simply not be able to handle a lot of flows at once. Also, some houses have pressure regulators. Over time pressure regulators can start to fail resulting in decreased pressure. Other possible reasons could be a blockage in a water line or a valve somewhere in your plumbing that is not completely open.
One simple thing you can do is to check your aerators attached to your faucets. These aerators can become clogged over time and may need periodic cleaning.
If your low pressure is a continuing problem and you would like our help diagnosing your problem, you can arrange to have one of our customer service representatives to meet with you for a field investigation. Contact our Lancaster office at 661-942-1157 for more details.
16) Does the Department of Public Works provide water and power services? If so, in which areas?
The Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts is one of approximately 200 water purveyors in the county. We provide water service to approximately 59,000 customers throughout the County via five County Waterworks Districts as follows:
We serve the City of Lancaster, portions of the City of Palmdale and other communities in the Antelope Valley (about 48,000 connections); The Acton area (about 1300 connections); The Valverde area (northwest of Magic Mountain with about 1300 connections); Kagel Canyon (about 270 customers in the northern San Fernando Valley); The City of Malibu and portions of Topanga Canyon (about 8400 connections). We also provide water service to about 300 customers in the Marina del Rey area.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works does not provide electric power service. Most of the residents of Los Angeles County receive electric power from the Southern California Edison. The cities of Los Angeles, Azusa, Pasadena, Burbank and Glendale have their own water and power service.
17) I am considering purchasing property at this location. I need to know what is required to hook up to county water. What are the permit & connection fees? What size water main? What else do I need to know for this project?
There are a number of requirements to obtain water service connections to one of our Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts. Typically, the property to receive service needs to be located within the boundaries of one of the Waterworks Districts. We have five Districts which are located at or near Malibu, Marina Del Rey, Kagel Canyon, Val Verde, Acton, Lancaster, Palmdale, and other parts of the Antelope Valley. If your property is not within our district boundaries, it may be within the jurisdiction of another water purveyor and you should contact them for more information. (Usually the closest city or town hall to your property will have this type of information. There are over 200 water purveyors in Los Angeles County) If the property is very close to one of our Waterworks Districts but not located within District boundaries, it may be necessary to annex the property into our district prior to receiving service.
Once it is determined that the property is located within one of our Districts, the first step will be to fill out a meter application. The fees will vary depending on the size of the meter, property size, frontage dimension, and required fire flow protection and are best determined on a case by case basis. Any party wanting new service will be responsible for all capital improvements needed to provide a service connection to their property. Improvements could include construction of new water mains, and/or construction of additional water storage facilities at existing District property sites, and/or acquisition of new property along with construction of new storage facilities,. (It should be noted that all improvements need to meet Fire Department and Waterworks Districts Standards and will have to be entirely funded by the owner/developer.)
If you believe that your property for which you would like a connection is located at or near one of our Waterworks Districts, please contact either our main office or closest field office to obtain further information.
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