Water Policies

Scroll down or click on a topic below to jump to it:

Actions for Disconnect
Reconnection
Billing and Adjustments
New Water Customer Requirements
Refunding Security Deposits
Schedule of Rates and Fees
Security Deposits

The information provided in this section of our website defines your rights and responsibilities as a PUD customer. The information is an abbreviated version of our District Water Policies, which are available on request.

It is important for you to know that as a Mason County PUD No 1 customer, you are also one of the owners. Please always feel free to stop in or call us if you have any questions about your account or any PUD related business.

Actions for Disconnect

The District may disconnect or refuse to connect service including but not limited to:

• Violation of Service Policies
• Violation of Rate Schedule or Contract Provisions
• Theft or Illegal Diversion of Water
• Hazardous or Contaminated Conditions
• Non-Payment of Water Bill after 30 Days
• Deliberate and Gross Waste of Water

Reconnection

When service is disconnected for noncompliance with service requirements or regulations, nonpayment or fraudulent use, the service will not be reconnected until the situation is corrected to the district's satisfaction.

Before reconnection, the customer will be advised of current fees and charges for service restoration. Only authorized District personnel may initiate and turn on service to a water service connection. Appropriate charges, (refer to water rates) for turning on or reconnecting service will be assessed as applicable.

A water service that is reconnected within one-year from the disconnection period will be charged the basic service charge and the capital surcharge for each month the water service was disconnected. After one year, one-half of the System Development Fee will be required.

Billing and Adjustments

• Services that have been billed inaccurately due to improper metering (including but not limited to a faulty installation or administration of a metering system) will be billed for an estimated amount of usage based upon a maximum of thirty-six (36) months.
• The owner of the premise will be required to assume responsibility for the billing, effective the last regular reading date for metered services or billing date for unmetered services, unless one of the tenants is willing to assume full responsibility for the billing.
• Retroactive billing adjustments arising out of incorrect application of rates, faulty meters, or clerical errors will be made.
• Tampered services will be charged a penalty to be determined by the District's rates and fee schedule and could result in a referral to the Mason County Sheriff's department.
• Bills will be mailed to the billing address furnished by the customer. Failure to receive a bill does not release the customer from the obligation to pay when payment is due.
• Meters will be read or estimated and billed monthly.
• Meter readings will be made on the same cycle date, as nearly as possible, during each billing interval. A five-day variation in reading periods caused by holidays, weekends and differences in the length of calendar month will not be construed as a change from the normal monthly billing. The District may make an adjustment to the billing should this be the cause of usage over the base rate.
• The District may estimate meter readings for billing purposes when its meter reader is unable to gain access to the premises on regularly scheduled meter reading trips, or when circumstances beyond the control of the District make reading of meters impractical or impossible. The District will analyze the actual reading and make the proper adjustments.
• Opening or closing bills, which may be for greater or lesser periods than the normal metering interval, will be prorated. If the closing charge is less than $15.00 or the balance owing on any closed account is less than $15.00, the District may elect to cancel the charge on the amount owed. The District may also elect not to refund credit balances of less than $15.00 on closed accounts. Bills will be mailed to the billing address furnished by the customer. Failure to receive a bill does not release the customer from the obligation to pay when payment is due.
• If a customer is billed for service actually furnished to another because of misidentification of the meter, the current customer's account will be credited. Crediting will be for all service so billed, up to a period of three years immediately preceding the discovery of the circumstance. The customer will then be billed for all service actually furnished.

New Water Customer Requirements

The new customer must complete and sign the District's application form.
You can download a copy by clicking here.

a) Each New Customer desiring water shall make application prior to service connection.
Application for water service may be made at the District’s Office at N 21971 Hwy 101 (at Potlatch) Shelton, WA 98584.

b) The customer must pay all appropriate System Development Fees before any work has begun and before a Determination of Water Adequacy form has been signed and released by the District.

• A cost estimate to install a new water service must be established by the District, and the customer must submit this payment prior to having the service installed.
• The customer may be required to provide a 15-foot recorded easement in a form acceptable to the District, for access and future extensions of service to other customers.
• The customer must provide all trenching for a water hook-up installation and for installing all plumbing on their side of the water service (meter box to the dwelling).

Once a customer pays the SDF fee for a water hookup, the customer has two years from the date of payment to connect to their water system. If the customer has not connected to the water system after two years has elapsed, the customer will need to pay another SDF fee in order to connect to the water system within two years of that payment.

Refunding Security Deposits

• All security deposits from new and existing residential customers may be refunded if they have maintained a good credit history, as determined by the District, over a twelve-month period and the account is up-to-date. General Service customer deposits will be held for twenty-four months.
• If a customer's payment history is not in good standing, the District reserves the right to withhold the deposit until the account is kept current for twelve consecutive months.
• If the customer relocates within the District area during this twelve-month period, the deposit will be transferred to the new account. If the customer moves out of the District area, the deposit will be credited to the final bill and a credit or balance due will be issued to the customer.

Schedule of Rate and Fees

• All customers shall be subject to the District's Schedule of Rates and Fees. The District's Board of Commissioners will update the schedule periodically. A copy of the current rates and fees are available on this web site (see Water Rates).
• The District reserves the right to collect a fee for insufficient funds.
  
• The District will impose a Meter Tampering, Water Theft or Water Diversion charge.
• The District reserves the right to recover all damages allowed by law.
• A Late Charge will be added to an outstanding balance over thirty days.

Security Deposits

New Residential Owners. As a rule, new residential owners will not be required to pay a security deposit. However, certain circumstances may require the District to collect a security deposit from a new residential owner:

• Bankruptcy: If the owner's previous District bill has been discharged in bankruptcy (subject to the14-year limit of 605(a)(1) of the Consumer Credit Protection Act).
• Assignment for Collection: If the owner has not paid the previous bill and the District has assigned the account to a collection agency (subject to the 7-year limit of 605(a)(4) of the Consumer Credit Protection Act).
• Previous Unpaid Balance: If the owner has an unpaid bill at another locations and refuses to make payment or to make satisfactory arrangements in writing, within a reasonable period of time.
• Previous Payment Record: If the owner's previous payment record has not been satisfactory, or payment is inadequate.
• Misrepresentation of Identity: If the District learns that the owner has misrepresented his/her identity to avoid payment of an outstanding bill.

Existing Residential Owners. The District may require an existing owner pay a security deposit for an accumulation of offenses cited above. AMOUNT - the minimum security deposit for new or existing residential owners is $100.00, or the maximum 2-month billing period, whichever is greater.

New General Service Customers. The District requires a minimum security deposit of $250.00 or the two highest months water consumption on the account, whichever is greater.

Existing General Service Customers. The District may require a security deposit of $250.00 or the two highest months water consumption on the account, whichever is higher from an existing customer if payments are continually delinquent, or if the customer wishes to re-establish the service following a disconnect for non-payment.

Terms & Application of Deposit. All security deposits are due upon request and, if necessary, payment arrangements may be scheduled in certain circumstances as authorized by the District. A security deposit shall not be considered as pre-paid revenue. The District at its discretion may apply the security deposit towards the customer's past due account.

Customer Rights. A customer who disputes the security deposit or is unable to pay it, will have the right to an informal conference with designated employees of the District. If the customer remains unsatisfied an appeal may be made to the District Commission, and any decision shall be conclusive and final. The designated District employees will have the power to make arrangements with the customer for a deferred payment schedule of the security deposit.

TOP OF PAGE