Bills are due upon presentation. If payment is not received by the delinquent date, a reminder notice will be sent and service may be subject to additional fees and shut off. Please call our office if you would like to make payment arrangements.

Call our office at 858-756-2424 to transfer an account into your name or to make any changes in billing information on an existing account. Please notify the District promptly in the event of any change in ownership, tenancy or billing address.

Qualifying water users who elect to participate in the Agricultural Water Program will receive a discounted water rate based on an interruptible water use status. This means that if you agree to the terms of the Agricultural Water Program, you will be required to cut back your water use first in the event of a water shortage or emergency. In return, you will receive a discounted water rate. If you would like information about this program, call 858-756-2424 to obtain an information packet.

Water that comes from rivers, lakes and streams goes through many steps of treatment and checkpoints before it is ready to drink. The water is screened to remove larger materials, run though very fine filters and then disinfected to kill germs. The water is checked throughout the system to make sure that it meets all regulations.

California has very strict laws regulating the quality of tap water. Local utilities must made sure that your water meets these requirements. Southern California utilities have an excellent record for delivering water that is as good as or better than required. If for some reason your water does not meet the health and safety regulations, you will be notified immediately. Each of us also has a responsibility to take care of the drinking water on our property. For example, if you use a water filter, make sure you change the filter often so bacteria does not grow inside and spoil the water. Clean out your older plumbing or drains properly so that your water doesn't collect odd smells, tastes or colors. While a funny color, taste or smell usually doesn't mean your water is unsafe, you still may want to correct the problem.

Contact the Santa Fe Irrigation District at 858-756-2424.

Sometimes you may need to treat your water during an emergency (e.g., an earthquake) when the water's safety may be in doubt. You can treat your tap water by eiter boiling it or disinfecting with unscented household liquid bleach or commercial disinfection tablets. For the best results, chill the water before drinking. Option one: Bring water to a rolling boil and then boil rapidly for at least one minute. Allow the water to cool before drinking. This is the preferred method. Option two: Add unscented household liquid bleach to tap water. Add 8 drops per gallon (16 cups) of water. Stir, cover and let site for 30 minutes before using. If the water is very dirty, double the number of bleach drops to 16. The disinfected water should have a slight chlorine smell. If it doesn't, add another dosage fo bleach and let sit for 15 minutes more before using. Do not use scented, powdered or swimming pool bleach since these products may contain dangerous chemicals. Option three: Use commercial disinfection tablets, often found in sporting goods stores, and follow package directions. If you are without water for some time, here are some other sources of water in the house: melted ice cubes, your water heater, canned vegetables, water taken from the toilet tank (not the bowl), and then disinfected as described above.

Water is vital to everyday life, necessary for health and should never be taken for granted. It is very important to be prepared for water emergencies BEFORE they occur. Earthquakes, floods, high winds, droughts and forest or brush fires are events that can create water emergencies. Likewise, broken water mains, power outages, treatment plant breakdowns, and failure of storage tanks or equipment are considered "water system" emergencies. Learn how to shut off the main water valve to your house. Make sure you know the location of the valve; have the necessary tools to operate it; and mark it with fluorescent paint or tape for locating the valve in the dark. Purchase bottled water or store water in clean, unbreakable containers that can be properly sealed or capped after filling. It is recommended to have at least one gallon of water per person and per pet per day, and store enough water for three to five days. Keep water stored in a cool areas away from direct sunlight. Water should be replaced every six to eight months. If you must use tap water during an emergency, make sure your water has been disinfected by boiling it for 5 minutes or you can use water-disinfecting tablets (4 per gallon), tincture of iodine (12 drops per gallon) or liquid chlorine (8-10 drops per gallon). After treatment, mix the water thoroughly and let it stand for 30 minutes before use.

A bleachy or chemical taste and odor in the water in your home or business is often caused by accumulation of organic material in the plumbing. This organic material can be eliminated by flushing your water pipes. This procedure is outlines in the following steps: 1) Remove the screens (aerators) from the ends of the indoor faucets and run all of the faucets wide open and simultaneously for 3 to 5 minutes. 2) Flush the toilets 2 or 3 times each while faucets are running. Running all the water faucets and toilets simultaneoulsy generates a large flow of water through the pipes and will hopefully dislodge any buildup of organic material that is causing the taste and odor problem. Removing the aerators before flushing the plumbing will prevent anything dislodged from plugging the screens. 3) After 3 to 5 minutes of flushing, turn off the water faucets, clean the aerators, and reinstall aerators on the ends of the faucets.

Santa Fe Irrigation District has sampled selected sites in its distribution system as well as the treated water it receives from the Metropolitan Water District and the R. E. Badger Filtration Plant. Lead levels in collected samples have been very low and therefore comply with state and federal drinking water standards. Lead solder was banned in 1986. This change means that inside plumbing in newer houses and apartments should not have a lead problem. Santa Fe Irrigation District does not have lead connections in its water delivery system, and follows regulations that prevent lead from leaching into the water supply. Lead may be an issue for customers with brass or bronze faucets, or for those living in older houses and apartments where lead solder was used in the plumbing system. Both brass and bronze contain lead, which can leach into water. Lead levels are highest when the tap is first turned on, as that water has the most contact with the faucet, pipe and fittings. Letting the water run for a few minutes will help flush any water that may have higher levels of lead.

Fluoride occurs naturally in sources of tap water. Many water utilities in other parts of the country add more fluoride to their water. It is not as common in California. Drinking water with the right amount of fluoride has been shown to reduce the risk of cavities, especially for children. The District does not add fluoride to the water supplied to customers.

If you are pregnant and have any questions about drinking water straight from the tap, talk to your doctor. You can refer to our consumer confidence report for specific information on the quality of water you receive.

Water utilities must meet over 120 different drinking water requirements for tap water. People with severely weakened immune systems are not always protected by these standards because requirements are based on reducing risks for people in good health. For example, a microscopic parasite called Cryptosporidium can cause a life-threatening illness for people with weakened immune systems. The chance of finding Cryptosporidium in water served by Southern California utilities is quite small. However, people with severely weakened immune systems should talk to their doctor about possible alternatives to tap water.

Most people do not need to purchase a home treatment device (e.g., a water filter) to make tap water safe because it already meets very strict government regulations for quality. Customers considering a home treatment device because of health concerns should make sure that the device is certified by the California Department of Health Services (DHS). DHS certifies more than 350 home treatment devices that claim to reduce toxic chemicals or provide better health protection. All devices making such claims must be state–certified in order to be legally sold. Regulated devices include those that use carbon filters, distillation, reverse-osmosis, ion-exchange, and ceramic filters. Call DHS at (916) 327-1139 for more information about their certification program or log onto their website at http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/ddwem/technical/certification/device/devices.html. Performance of water treatment devices is also certified by the independent National Sanitation Foundation. For more information call (800) 673-8010 or log onto their website at http://www.nsf.org. Following are some considerations for purchasing a home treatment device: • Don’t be fooled by a sales demonstration that shows material settling to the bottom of a glass of tap water. The material is usually nothing more than minerals that naturally occur in water. • Home treatment devices must be properly serviced to work well. If they aren’t maintained according to manufacturer’s instructions, water from the device may be less safe than water straight from the tap. • Water that is treated by a home treatment device is usually much more expensive than water straight from the tap, considering the costs of device purchase and maintenance. • Determine what the device removes from tap water. Not all home treatment devices remove the same things. Customers with a severely weakened immune system should talk to their doctor about the best type of home treatment device to use.

It is not necessary to boil tap water as it already meets strict state and federal regulations for quality. On very rare occasions, the local health department or Santa Fe Irrigation District may issue a notice to boil water after an earthquake or other emergency. Customers with severely weakened immune systems or those advised by their doctor may also need to boil their tap water.

Water softeners do not make tap water safer–they simply remove the dissolved minerals that make water hard but not harmful. The hardness of water is different throughout Southern California and depends on the water source. Before purchasing a water softener, make sure it has a salt efficiency rating of no less than 4,000 grains of hardness removed per pound of salt used in regeneration. Softer water has both good and bad features. Benefits include a softer feel to hair and skin, the need to use less dish soap and laundry detergent (because soap lathers more quickly in soft water), and less mineral deposits in pipes and on pots and pans, glasses and cars. However, water softeners add sodium to the water, which may be a concern for people on sodium-restricted diets.

Bottled water sold in stores or from vending machines costs many times more per gallon than tap water and it is not necessarily any safer to drink. Every source of water, whether it is tap water or bottled water, must meet very strict health requirements. Customers who choose to purchase bottled water should ask about the source of the water and the bottler’s treatment system. Those with health concerns should ask what specific contaminants the treatment process removes.

From the time your water is purified at a treatment plant until it pours from your tap, there are a lot of chances for it to pick up things that can change the way it looks. Sometimes this happens as close as your home's own plumbing. Water is cloudy when air gets in and makes tiny bubbles. The bubbles are harmless and will disappear if you let the water sit in a glass for a few minutes. Usually when water looks dirty or has a strange color, it is because of changes in the way that the delivery system and/or your home plumbing system is being operated. When the direction that water flows in the pipe is changed - for maintenance work on a water main, when a fire hydrant is broken, or there is a break in a water main - materials at the bottom of the pipes get stirred up. Often, the water only looks dirty for a short time. Sometimes color in your water originates from your household plumbing system and can be attributed to your hot water tank or other places that trap deposits. You should not drink it until it looks clear. One way to speed the dirty water out of your pipes is to run all of your faucets for a few minutes. If the water is still not clear, then do the same thing again every half hour or so. The problem should go away within two to four hours. If it does not, call our office at 858-756-2424. The person answering the call will ask if the colored water is originating from the hot side of your home plumbing system and/or cold side. He/she may also ask you to look at a sample of water at a hose bib close to your water meter to see if the water entering your house has color in it. Any descriptive information that you can provide our customer service rep will be very helpful in determining the cause of the color of your water.

When water is heated, cooled, or evaporated, minerals in the water may leave harmless white spots on glasses, coffeepots, and showerheads. Vinegar can be effective in removing these spots – soak showerheads in a bowl of vinegar and fill coffeepots with vinegar and soak overnight. Be sure to rinse well before using. There are also store products that can be purchased for preventing spots on glasses.

Every year the Santa Fe Irrigation District publishes and mails to all customers an Annual Customer Confidence Report. This free report provides the results of tests conducted by the District to assure that your water meets federal and state drinking waer regulations. It also explains where your water comes from and includes other useful information. The report is available in English and Spanish. To request a hard copy, please call 858-756-2424, or download a copy from our Documents section of this website.

SFID recommends that all customers have a shut off valve on the property side of the meter. The valve on the street side of the meter is SFID's responsibility and should be operated by District personnel only. If you do not have a valve on the property side of the meter and need your water shut off, call 858-756-2424, and we will set up an appointment to do so during our regular business hours.

In the event of an after-hours emergency, call 858-756-2854 or 858-756-2424 to reach an answering service after normal business hours.

SFID recommends that all customers have a pressure regulator to guard against damage to pipes and fixtures in the event of a fluctuation in water pressure.

If there is a possibility of contamination of the public water supply by your water use, you will be required to have an approved backflow device. Backflow devices are required on all new commercial and agricultural accounts. If you are an existing account and fall into a "high risk" category such as chemical processing, medical and dental facilities, flower grower, etc., you are required to immediately install a backflow device to protect other water users on the system. Please calll our office at 858-756-2424 if you have any questions regarding backflow devices.