Every day, customers across the Calaveras County Water District (CCWD) service area rely on safe drinking water, wastewater (sewer) treatment, fire protection capabilities, and critical infrastructure that operates around the clock. These services are provided through an extensive network of facilities, equipment, and dedicated employees working behind the scenes to serve our communities.

Many customers have questions about their utility bill, including:

• Why are some charges fixed?
• Why do I have water and wastewater (sewer) charges?
• Why do I pay something even when I use very little water?
• How does conservation affect my bill?
• What services does my payment support?

This page helps answer those questions and explains how utility rates support the reliable services our communities depend on every day.

Before We Begin: Three Important Things to Know About Your CCWD Bill

 1. Your bill may include both water and wastewater service.

Some customers receive drinking water service and wastewater (sewer) service from CCWD. While these services appear on the same statement, they support separate utility systems.

2. Your bill includes both fixed charges and usage charges.

Some costs are based on how much water you use, while other costs help maintain the infrastructure, facilities, and services needed to provide reliable water and wastewater service every day.

3. Most CCWD customers are billed every two months.

CCWD currently uses a bi-monthly billing cycle. This means your bill typically reflects approximately 60 days of service, not one month. When compared to utilities that bill monthly, the amount due can sometimes appear larger simply because it covers a longer period

 

One Bill, Sometimes Two Utilities

Many customers refer to their bi-monthly statement as their "monthly water bill." However, for some customers, the bill includes charges for two separate utility services:

Drinking Water Service

Water service includes everything required to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to your home or business, including:

• Water treatment facilities
• Reservoirs and storage tanks
• Wells and pump stations
• Distribution pipelines
• Water quality testing
• Regulatory compliance
• Fire protection capacity
• System maintenance and repairs

Every time you turn on the tap, an extensive system is working behind the scenes to ensure clean, reliable drinking water is available whenever you need it.

Wastewater (Sewer) Service

Wastewater service begins after water goes down the drain.

This service includes:

• Sewer collection pipelines
• Lift stations and pumps
• Wastewater treatment facilities
• Environmental monitoring
• Laboratory testing
• Regulatory compliance
• Infrastructure maintenance and replacement

These systems protect public health and the environment by safely collecting and treating wastewater before it is returned to the environment.

While water and wastewater services may appear on a single bill, they are separate utility systems with separate infrastructure, facilities, operating costs, and regulatory requirements.

 

Understanding the Two Parts of Your Bill

CCWD bills contain two primary components:

Fixed Charges

Fixed charges help pay for the infrastructure and services required to keep water and wastewater systems available and ready to serve your property.

These costs include:

✅ Water treatment facilities

✅ Wastewater treatment facilities

✅ Reservoirs and storage tanks

✅ Wells and pump stations

✅ Water and sewer pipelines

✅ Water quality testing

✅ Regulatory compliance

✅ Emergency preparedness

✅ Fire protection capacity

✅ Maintenance and repairs

✅ Replacement of aging infrastructure

✅ Staffing and operations

These costs exist whether water use is high, low, or even zero during a billing period.

Usage Charges

Usage charges are based on the amount of water used during the billing period, as measured by your water meter. These charges are calculated using the District's variable water rates and increase or decrease based on actual water consumption. Customers who use more water will have higher usage charges, while customers who use less water will have lower usage charges. This rate structure helps ensure costs are allocated based on water use.

 

"Why do I pay a fixed charge even when I don't use much water?"

Most of the cost of operating a water and wastewater utility is tied to maintaining the system itself, not to the amount of water used during a particular month.

For example:

• Water storage tanks still require maintenance.
• Treatment facilities still require certified operators.
• Pipelines still need repairs and replacement.
• Water quality testing must continue.
• Environmental regulations must be met.
• Emergency response capabilities must remain available.
• Fire protection infrastructure must be maintained.

Those costs continue whether a customer uses one gallon or one thousand gallons of water. 

You're Paying for Readiness

Think about a fire department.

Even when there are no fires, firefighters, engines, equipment, and stations must remain ready to respond immediately.

Water and wastewater systems work in a similar way.

CCWD must be prepared at all times to:

• Deliver safe drinking water
• Maintain system pressure
• Support fire protection
• Respond to emergencies
• Meet regulatory requirements
• Protect public health and the environment

A portion of your bill helps ensure that readiness exists every day of the year.

Fire Protection

Public water systems are designed for more than everyday household use.

They must also help support community fire protection.

CCWD's infrastructure helps provide water for:

• Fire hydrants
• Schools
• Businesses
• Community facilities
• Emergency responders

Even customers who use very little water benefit from having a water system capable of supporting emergency response and fire protection within their community.

For a county that has experienced significant wildfire threats and emergencies, maintaining reliable water infrastructure is an important part of protecting lives, property, and communities.

Conservation Still Matters

Some people assume that fixed charges reduce the value of conservation.

They do not.

Customers who use more water continue to pay more through usage-based charges. Customers who use less water generally pay less overall.

Conservation remains important because it helps:

• Preserve local water resources
• Reduce peak water demands
• Improve long-term sustainability
• Reduce stress on infrastructure
• Delay future system expansion needs

CCWD encourages all customers to use water efficiently whenever possible.

Looking Ahead: Monthly Billing in 2027

CCWD currently bills most customers every two months.

Beginning in 2027, CCWD will transition to monthly billing.

Monthly billing is expected to provide several benefits:

• Smaller, more manageable bills
• Easier household budgeting
• More frequent information about water use
• Faster identification of leaks or unusual consumption
• Improved account management and customer service

The transition will not change the cost of providing service. It will simply provide customers with more frequent billing and usage information. 

In Simple Terms

When you pay your CCWD utility bill, you are not only paying for the water that comes out of your faucet.

You are helping support:

• Safe drinking water
• Wastewater collection and treatment
• Fire protection capabilities
• Water quality monitoring
• Environmental compliance
• Emergency preparedness
• Infrastructure maintenance and replacement
• Reliable service throughout Calaveras County

The Bottom Line

The usage charge helps pay for the water you use.

The fixed charge helps pay for the system that makes service available whenever you need it.

And for many customers, the bill may include both water service and wastewater service, while also reflecting approximately two months of service under CCWD's current bi-monthly billing cycle.