Billing & Payment Information

At California American Water, providing you with the best customer service possible is our priority. We offer the following payment methods:

Pay by Mail
Use the convenient return envelope provided to you with your bill. Detach and enclose the bill stub with your check or money order. Do not send cash.

Automatic Payment
Sign up for Automatic Payment, and your bill will be paid on time, every time, directly from your checking or savings account on the date it is due.
Download the Automatic Payment Form for complete instructions.

Online Bill Pay
You can use your Visa or MasterCard credit or debit cards to pay your bill online. For more information, visit: www.paymybill.com

Pay by Phone
If you do not have questions about your bill, you can pay-by-phone using your Visa or MasterCard by calling 1.866.271.5522. There is a small fee for this service. Be sure to have your 10-digit account number handy. This is located on the upper right corner of your current bill.

Pay at at local payment location
Convenient, authorized locations across the state will accept your payment. Please note these locations DO NOT accept payments by mail.

Understanding Your Bill

The service charge on your bill allows the company to recover a portion of fixed costs necessary to provide customers with access to service. Power, chemicals, maintenance, rent, customer service, and administrative service expenses are examples of these costs. Other charges determined by the California Public Utilities Commission may also be shown on your bill.

Today, most California American Water customers are billed based on the volume they consume as measured by a water meter at the service location. Metered systems help customers monitor their water usage to conserve precious resources, protect the environment, and control customer costs. Some customers in the greater Sacramento area are now billed a flat unmetered rate. In keeping with our commitment to water conservation, unmetered customers will be converted to metered systems in the years ahead. The company will notify you before your service charge is converted to a metered system.

Metered Customers
California American Water employees regularly read your water meter to find out how much water has been used during the prior period. The service charge is a minimum regular charge determined by the meter diameter, to which we add a charge based on the cost of water actually used.

Unmetered Customers
Our unmetered customers are billed a flat-rate amount every two months. That amount is determined by the size of the service connection and regulatory guidelines.
Payment is due upon receipt of the bill. The bill is past due 25 days after the billing date on the statement. Failure to pay in a timely manner may result in disconnection of water service. To start service again, the outstanding bill and a reconnection fee must be paid.

Third Party Notification Service
A special program is available to help protect elderly or disabled customers from service interruption. We offer this service at no extra charge. With our Third Party Notification service, a phone call will be made to a person designated by the customer prior to service being disconnected. This will give a family member, friend or caregiver time to take action to prevent the service from being terminated.

For most customers, your water bill is divided into two sections – a flat service charge and a quantity charge.

A. The flat service charge is the fee you pay to connect to the system. It remains the same each month regardless of your water usage.

B. The quantity charge is based on a charge per 100 cubic feet of water you use (1 cubic foot is about 7.5 gallons of water). Using less water will save you money on this portion of your water bill.

On your bill, you will see find the following:

1. Upper portion detaches to return with your payment.
2. Upper portion shows date billed, date due, and amount due.
3. For your records, the bottom portion includes:
   • Service address
   • Due date
   • How to reach us
   • Account summary

H20 Help to Others Program

Although our lives depend on an ample supply of tap water, many of us take water for granted. Unfortunately, there are many people and families who risk losing water service because they can’t pay their water bills. For customers who have fallen on difficult financial times, American Water’s H20 Help to Others Program has been providing assistance for over a decade to those who qualify in participating states.

H20 Help to Others Program takes a three-fold approach to assistance. Hardship grants, monthly service discounts and complimentary water-saving devices and education to change water use habits all combine to create a program that has helped thousands of families since it was founded in 1991.

Another benefit of H20 Help to Others Program is that if often connects customers with other sources of aid in their communities, including other assistance programs for which they might qualify. Typically, those who qualify for the program are able to begin paying their water and other utility bills in a timely manner, start meeting other financial obligations, and work toward self-sufficiency.

At American Water, helping out where we can is at the core of who we are.

“No one should ever have to fear a day without water because he or she cannot pay a bill for legitimate reasons.” – John Young, Chief Operating Officer, American Water.

For more information contact the Customer Service Center at 888.237.1333 or for a copy of the application and to view qualification guidelines, click on the appropriate district below. 

Felton (pdf)

Larkfield (pdf)

Monterey (except Ambler, Bishop, Chualar and Ralph Lane) (pdf)

Sacramento (pdf)