Service Information

Establishing Water Service

To obtain Active Service a property owner must submit a Water Service Application. Water service will be made available upon receipt of the completed application and any applicable fees.

New Service with New Meter

If a new meter is required, it must be placed within a current dedicated right-of-way or an existing SWLCWPUD easement. If not practical, the property owner must file a new-recorded easement with Lincoln County and give a true copy to SWLCWPUD before work begins.

To start a new service, please contact the office for an estimate. SWLCWPUD recommends a property owner obtains septic approval from Lincoln County prior to contacting the office.

Once the request has been approved, SWLCWPUD requires full payment and a completed water application. As of Summer 2022, installs have been significantly delayed due to supply chain issues. In some cases, the lead time is up to 3 months. SWLCWPUD does its best to keep a customer's priority based on the estimate date.

When a water meter is installed, service is considered active, and the daily base and water use charges begin.

Permanent Disconnect

Water Service will be disconnected under two conditions:

- Nonpayment for one and one half (1-1/2) years

- by Property Owner request

Under these conditions, the meter and SWLCWPUD components will be removed, water service shut-off, and monthly billing stopped.

Once the meter is REMOVED, a Customer must RE-APPLY for service. This includes the water connection fee and may include the Systems Development Charge.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING REMOVING YOUR METER, please contact the office to discuss your options.

Bond Surcharge

In the early 1990's, the Water District needed an infrastructure upgrade to meet EPA drinking water standards. This costly project was funded by a loan from the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Services (RUS) group. It required the Water District keep a Bond Reserve Fund (BRF) to make annual loan payments.

To establish the Bond Reserve Fund, customers could either pay their portion of the loan upfront or pay the Bond Surcharge on a monthly basis.

The Bond Surcharge paid by customers is applied to the BRF.

The RUS loan will be paid off in 2027.

Systems Development Charge (SDC)

The Systems Development Charge is an improvement fee collected at the time of connection to the water system. The fee is applied to those developments that create the need for, or increase the demands on, SWLCWPUD’s waterworks. The fee contributes to the average cost of inspecting and installing connections to the water facilities. The “SDC” imposed by SWLCWPUD is separate from, and in addition to, any applicable tax, assessment, charge, or fee otherwise provided by law or imposed as a condition of development.

The SDC is payable upon application for water service. Payment must be made with cash or check. SWLCWPUD shall not permit or allow connection until the charge has been paid in full.

For more information, please find the complete resolution under WD Resolutions.