Residential Water Service Discontinuation Policy

Effective July 4, 2024

The City of Santa Ana recently approved an ordinance to update the Municipal Code to comply with the State of California’s Water Shutoff Protection Act, also known as Senate Bill 998. As part of this change, the City will make available its Residential Water Service Discontinuation Policy. The policy outlines the rights provided to Santa Ana residential water customers in regards to nonpayment of past due water bills, including limitations of fees for certain customers, notification requirements, and processes to follow.

Residential water customers will see the following changes:

  1.  Accounts may not be shut off without being past due for at least 60 days.
  2.  Special rights for extremely low-income customers with medical conditions. All other customers may still request payment arrangements with the City, but accommodations are not guaranteed. Please call MUS at (714) 647-5454 or visit us in person at City Hall.
  3.  Renters with delinquent property-owner water accounts can take over a water account without paying the property owner’s past-due balance if the sign-up requirements are met.
  4.  The water shut-off policy made accessible to the public (English version and required translation viewable below).

Please note, these changes only impact water service for residential customers. These rights and protections are not extended to commercial customers and discontinuation of water service may still occur for reasons other than nonpayment. .

Frequently Asked Questions

Payment for Municipal Utility Services   can be mailed to:

City of Santa Ana
Finance Department – Treasury Division M-13
20 Civic Center Plaza
PO Box 1964
Santa Ana CA, 92702-1964

Other Payment Options:

  • One-time online payment: https://www.invoicecloud.com/santaanaca
  • Automated telephone system: (714) 647-5454
  • Logging into a registered online account: https://mywater.santa-ana.org/app/
  • In-person at Santa Ana City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza
    • City Cashier located on the 1st floor of City Hall
    • City Kiosk located next to City Hall’s primary entrance
    • Drop-off of a check or money order at the Deposit Box located next to City Kiosk near City Hall’s primary entrance
  • You may call (714) 647-5454 to speak with a Customer Service Representative and request that the MUS account be closed. The requests may also be sent by email to info@santa-ana.org. All emailed requests must include the service address, reason for closing the account, name of the person making the request, final mailing address, and contact telephone number. You may also submit a request to close your account if you have created an online MUS account. You must log into your account and click on the Forms tab and choose Move Out Application Form.
  • Property owners may be held responsible to pay all accrued charges regardless of occupancy or use for the period that the property was legally owned. If a deposit was made by either a tenant or a property owner when the MUS account was established then the deposit will be automatically applied to the final bill of the account that is being closed.
  • A final bill will be mailed or emailed depending on the accounting settings established by the account holder prior to closing the account.

If a deposit was paid to establish a MUS account then the deposit may remain on the account until the account is closed.  The deposit will then be applied automatically to the final bill.  If any funds are left after applying the deposit then a refund check will automatically be generated for the remaining amount of the deposit.

The account holder may also request for a refund of the deposit paid to establish an account if the account is in good standing, if no late payments have been made over the last year, the account has been open for over a year and all documentation has been received.  If a valid identification or social security number is not on file then the request for a refund may be rejected.

All requests for deposit refund must be made in writing.  The request may be mailed to:

City of Santa Ana
Municipal Utility Services, M-14

20 Civic Center Plaza
PO Box 1964
Santa Ana, CA 92702-1964

Or it may be emailed to mus.info@santa-ana.org

For more information, visit our Municipal Utility Services website.

If you disagree with the amount of your billing, you must submit an appeal by the due date printed on your bill. The City will investigate your claim and will notify you of the outcome. This will avoid possible interruption of service so long you keep current on any new billing during the investigation. You may submit the request by email to info@santa-ana.org or by mail to

City of Santa Ana

Municipal Utility Services, M-14

20 Civic Center Plaza

PO Box 1964

Santa Ana, CA 92702-1964

You may contact the MUS office by telephone at (714) 647-5454 for further information. All disputes must be submitted in writing to be considered.

 

If your service is disconnected for nonpayment and you did not avail yourself to any of the rights outlined in the City’s Residential Water Service Discontinuation Policy, then you must contact the Municipal Utility Services staff immediately by telephone at (714) 647-5454. The reconnection of service may require payment in full of the amount owed and a reconnection charge may also be applied. Recommencement of service is done the same day full payment is submitted if the payment is processed before 3:00 PM on a City working day. Any payments submitted after 3:00 PM will result in service recommencing the next day or a customer pays the after-hours reconnect fee.

Your municipal utilities bill is payable the day you receive it. It becomes delinquent the day after the PAYMENT DUE DATE shown on your bill. If payment is not received prior to the bill becoming delinquent, a late payment charge of 10% is applicable to the total unpaid balance.

  • If you are a property owner:
    • You may apply for establishment of services in person, by email, or online.  The following are required to establish a new account:
      • Proof Of Ownership (Recorded Grant Deed, Final Escrow Closing Statement, Final Settlement Statement,  or Recorded Trust Deed)
      • Identification (California Driver’s License, California Identification Card, Matricula Consular, US Passport, US Military ID)**
      • Social Security Number, Federal Tax ID number or Individual Tax Identification Number**
      • Telephone Number
      • Mailing Address
      • **A deposit may be required if no State issued identification or U.S. Federal identification is provided.
  • If you are a tenant:
    • You may apply for establishment of services in person, by email, or online.  The current property owner must have established a MUS account before a tenant can sign up for service. The following are required to establish a new tenant account:
      • Proof of tenancy (Signed Rental Agreement, Signed Lease Agreement, or Signed Commercial Lease)
      • Valid Identification (California Driver’s License, California Identification Card, Matricula Consular, US Passport)**
      • Social Security Number, Federal Tax ID number or Individual Tax Identification Number**
      • Telephone Number
      • Mailing Address
      • Deposit – All new tenant accounts require a deposit to be paid.  The deposit amount is based on the size of the water meter servicing the property
      • **A deposit may be required if no State issued identification or U.S. Federal identification is provided.
  • Document Submission:

 

Please contact our office at (714) 647-5454 to determine if your meter needs to be checked. If the meter is damaged, the City will cover the costs of repair. If your property has a leak or a faucet was left running, you will be held responsible for the repairs and all charges that may arise if the leak is not stopped.

No discounts are provided for outstanding balances.

No discounts are provided for outstanding balances or applied to utility rates.

Penalty waivers may be requested and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Requests for waivers of any kind are not guaranteed to be approved.

The City defaults to a 12 months payment plan. Please contact our office for more information regarding payment plans and to review your options.

The City is not offering any additional financial assistance at this time.

Limited rebates are available for residents who practice water-saving habits. More information may be found here: https://www.santa-ana.org/rebates/.

Outside organizations (not affiliated with the City of Santa Ana) also offer limited financial assistance for utility bills and customers may contact them at the information listed below. The City does not substantiate or make claim to the validity of these organizations and advises customers to do their due diligence in requesting financial assistance.

Share Our Selves – https://shareourselves.org/

Community Action Partnership – https://capoc.org/

Please contact our office at (714) 647-5454 to speak with a Customer Service Representative for more information.

Please contact our office at (714) 647-5454 to speak with a Customer Service Representative for more information. Be advised that the City may require full payment of all outstanding charges, including penalties, to resume service.

MUS does not shut off water service on days when City Hall is closed, including weekends, holidays, and alternating Fridays. If water service is interrupted on a day that City Hall is closed, please contact the Public Works Agency at (714) 647-3380.

Close window