PRESS RELEASE | City of St. Helena Approves Water Usage Penalty Forgiveness Program
Press Release
TODAY’S DATE: July 30, 2021
RELEASE DATE: Immediate
TITLE: City of St. Helena Approves Water Usage Penalty Forgiveness Program (Press Release 2021-21)
CONTACT: Mark Prestwich, City Manager
mprestwich@cityofsthelena.org, (707) 312-0252
ST. HELENA, CA – At the Tuesday, July 27, 2021 City Council meeting, the St. Helena City Council formally approved a Water Penalty Forgiveness Program for water customers exceeding water allocations for the June 2021 billing period.
Water allocations are necessary to conserve water as the City of St. Helena is experiencing a critical Phase II Water Emergency. Penalties are applied to accounts that exceed drought water allocations and increase based on the amount of excess water used. During June 2021, more than 60% of City water customers did not receive a water penalty because they used less water than their allocation which helps the City avoid a Phase III water emergency.
Because June was the first month in which water penalties were applied, the City Council adopted a Water Penalty Forgiveness Program which suspends 75% of the June 2021 penalties and 50% of July penalties. The program also provides any customer with a penalty the opportunity to eliminate their June and July penalties if the customer does not exceed their allocation in August, September, October and November 2021. The customer must meet this target in all four months for the penalties to be forgiven. Any penalties already paid will be credited back to the customer’s utility account. If a customer does not keep usage below targets during the four designated months, then any suspended amount becomes payable to the City.
To reduce time before a leak is discovered, the City reads meters monthly despite the City’s bi-monthly billing cycle. When leaks are detected upon meter reads, the City will notify customers and has expedited the notice to customers for the July meter reads this week. Any customer that has experienced a leak resulting in a penalty can submit a penalty leak adjustment appeal to the City’s Water Advisory Board.
For more information about the Penalty Forgiveness Program and penalty structure, please visit the City’s website at www.cityofsthelena.org or contact the Utility Billing Division at: (707) 968-2745 or via email at water@cityofsthelena.org.