Senate Bill 998 was signed into law at the end of the 2019 legislative session, and the District was required to comply with the Act by February 1, 2020. The purpose of the Act is to provide additional procedural protections to residential water customers before the discontinuation of water service. Under Senate Bill 998, the District was required to adopt a written policy on discontinuation of water service for nonpayment and make it available on the District's website in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean. The MSWD Policy to Avoid Disconnection Due to Non-Payment, available below, contains the following information:
- A plan for deferred or reduced payments, including a partnership with the United Way of the Desert for customers who need help paying their water bill to apply for financial assistance;
- Alternative payment schedules;
- A formal mechanism for a customer to contest or appeal a bill; and
- A telephone number for a customer to contact to discuss options for averting discontinuation of residential service for nonpayment.
Residential discontinuation for non-payment
2023 - 634
2022 - 622
2021 - 0
2020- 193