FAQs
Utility Billing
To set up a new account, please call Ligia Ferreira at (415) 508-2154 or see her in person at the Finance Counter at City Hall. At the time of connection, the City requires a $70 deposit, along with $20 for new account activation. The $70 deposit is returned to you one year after you have your water turned on if you have paid your bill on time. It is returned as a credit on your bi-monthly bill.
- ACH Autopay – Payments are automatically charged to your bank account on a recurring basis. To sign up for ACH Autopay, please return completing the Automatic Bill Payment Agreement form and your checking account will be automatically debited each billing period. After printing and completing the form, just bring it to the Finance Counter at City Hall. Or, if you prefer, you can scan and e-mail it to lferreira@brisbaneca.org along with a voided check or mail both to Brisbane City Hall at: 50 Park Place, Brisbane, CA, 94005.
- Online – To pay your bill online, visit brisbaneca.org/utility-payment-portal. You can pay as a guest, or you can register to have access to additional account information and features. To register, you will need:
- Email address
- Utility account number (found on your bill)
- Last payment amount (found on your most recent bill)
- Mail – You can make a payment by check or money order using the blue envelope provided to you with your Utility Bill every other month. Please send your payment via regular mail or you may drop your payment off at one of the Utility Payment Drop boxes in town, located at the corner of Mendocino & Visitacion by Midtown Market and at City Hall in front of the Community Meeting Room.
- Over the phone – Please call the Utility Billing Department at (415) 508-2154 during our regular business hours to pay using an attendant or you can make payments 24/7 using our automated phone payment line by dialing 1 (833) 273-7450, Option 1.
Please contact Ligia Ferreira at (415) 508-2154 in our Utility Billing Department if you have any questions and she will be happy to assist you. Thank you!
Water and Sewer services are billed bi-monthly. The bills usually arrive the first week of every odd-numbered month (January, March, May, July, September, and November), and are considered due upon receipt. Payment in full must be made by the 5th of every even-numbered month (February, April, June, August, October, and December) to avoid a penalty. The meters are read every two months, approximately 1 week prior to the bills being sent out.
Water and Sewer bills are due upon receipt. However, there is approximately a 35 day grace period. After this grace period, the City charges a late fee and sends out a reminder notice. If the bill is not paid another late charge is added to the bill and a 10 Day Disconnection Notice is mailed along with our Policy on Discontinuation of Service for Non-Payment. A duplicate notice is posted on the door to the residence. If the bill is not paid by the date indicated or no payment arrangement has been requested, the City shuts off the water until the bill is paid in full. There is an additional charge for reconnection and the City is only able to schedule this during normal working hours. After-hour turn-ons are available but require a higher after-hours reconnection fee in addition to the full payment of the bill.
Example:
Bill for Service Period: 12/15/2019 - 2/15/2020
Mailed Approximately 2/27/20
3/1/20: Grace Period Begins
4/5/20: Payment in Full or Authorized Arrangement Requested
4/6/20: Late Notice Sent with $5.00 Late Fee
4/20/20: Payment in Full or Authorized Arrangement Requested
4/21/20: 10 Day Notice Sent and Delivered to Property: Additional Fee Assessed: Policy on Discontinuation of Service for Non-Payment included with Notice
5/5/20: If payment in full not received, water will be Discontinued; Payment in Full and Reconnection Fees may apply
The Standard charges on your water bill include the following: Water Use, Water Service, Sewer, Capital Project Charge and the Drought Contingency Charge. Below is an explanation of the various charges:
Water Use - This charge is based on the number of units of water used in a two month period.
Water Service - This is a flat amount based on the size of the meter and type of water service (commercial, irrigation or residential).
Sewer - For Residential accounts, this charge is based on the amount of water used during the winter months (Mid-October to Mid-February). It changes once a year on the April bill. For Commercial accounts, this charge is based on water usage. For irrigation accounts, there is no corresponding sewer charge as the water used for outdoor landscaping is not treated by the sewer system.
Capital Project Charge - This charge is based on the amount of water used between Mid-February and Mid-June. It changes once a year in August. This charge pays for a $5,000,000 bond for capital projects, and was approved by the Council on November 20, 2014, and became effective with the March 2015 bill.
Drought Contingency Charge - For residential/commercial account, the charge is either $2.32 a billing period if the account uses less than the median amount of water used by other users or $6.99 a billing period if they use more. Landscape users are charged $102.14 a billing period. The Drought Contingency Charge was established and became effective with the April 2018 bill.
Senate Bill 998, which went into effect January 1, 2020, mandates certain changes to our water bills and processes for residential customers. These changes are designed to make the process more accessible to everyone in the community by increasing transparency about the Discontinuation for Non-Payment process as well as our appeals and payment arrangement processes. The new legislation also provides opportunities for non-English speaking customers to receive these policies in their primary language. To view a summary of SB 998, please click here. To read the full policy, please click here.
A unit of water is 100 cubic ft. or approximately 748 gallons. Water is billed based upon the number of units you use for a 2-month period, plus the service charge for your meter. The City has implemented progressive rate structures to encourage individuals to conserve water. Therefore, the more water you use, the higher your bill will be.
