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1. What are the benefits of Monthly billing?

Smaller, manageable payments.

More efficient household budgeting: Your water bill will now arrive at a similar frequency with most other bills such as gas and electric or cellphone.  Hopefully this helps simplify monthly budgeting for more customers .

Timely water use information: Monitoring your water use can help you understand consumption habits and manage water and related sewer costs. With the bi-monthly billing any unusual consumption could be be more than two months in the past from when you receive the bill. 

Detect possible water leaks quickly: With more timely information, you’ll easily notice if your water use is different from normal. This allows for the early detection and prompt repair of leaks, reducing the possibility of a high water bill. If you want to learn more about detecting possible water leaks, sign up for leak alerts through our WaterSmart Portalhere.

2. How will customers know about this change?

We are glad you are here looking at this page because that means something we or one of your neighbors did helped you get here.

City Staff are developing new promotional venues in addition to our information on this website, on social media, our City Newsletters, E-Mail, Bill Messages, and Post Cards. 

We might even have a sweet treat for you if you visit us at an event like the Cotati Trick or Treat Trail or Holiday Tree Lighting or here at City Hall during office Hours. 

If you want to help spread the word, feel free to share this page with your friends and family. And as always, if you have any questions or want more information, please do not hesitate in contacting us at water@cotaticity.org or 707-665-3631.

3. What can I do if I need financial assistance during this transition?

We are here to help you. 

During this transition period the first bill in January 2024 might include your previous balance thus making your bill look significantly larger. The previous amount as included on the bill has a different due date than the new bill. Please make sure to pay the old balances before the new in order to avoid any past due penalties or possible shutoffs.

An easy way to keep your account up to date and avoid penalties is to register online HERE.  This access provides account billing and payment history as well as due dates with balances outstanding.

If you still think you need financial assistance, please reach out to us at water@cotaticity.org or 707-665-3631 and we will work with you. 

Additionally, in order to better serve those in need and to reduce city staff time, we will continue to only perform shutoffs for delinquent utility accounts on a bi-monthly basis. 

4. Why is the City moving to monthly billing?

With improvements in technology, most water providers have implemented the move to monthly billing as a best practice. Cotati has been investing in such technology to assist with leak detection and is now able to better account for consumption for billing on a more regular basis. 

As a best practice water providers, like the City of Cotati, believe that monthly billing offers customers smaller, more manageable payments and better aligns with other monthly expenses, making it easier for for most to manage household budgets. 

A monthly bill is also a better tool to assist in understanding consumption habits, because it provides more timely information about water use and more frequent opportunities to identify and repair leaks that might otherwise go undetected.

5. Can I still manage my account online?

Yes!  Everything from Automatic Bill Pay, Automatic Draft, and even Start and Stop Services Requests will continue to be offered with no changes HERE.

If you signed up for automatic payments through the Draft. You are set and nothing will change as payments will continue to be processed by the City. No risk of past due fees for you. 

If you have automatic payments set up through municipal online payments we highly recommend you take the following steps in January 2024:

 1.      Log in online and confirm your card on record is still valid

 2.      Check the dates for processing the payment. If this is established as a specific date of the month, simply confirm that this date will still work for a Monthly Bill.

 3.      Verify the amount to be paid. You can select a specific amount, or the full outstanding balance, or the amount due. 

Please note that during the End of January and Beginning of February there will be a gap where there could be two bills outstanding.  

6. What changes to the bill should I expect?

Your water charges cover a period of one month instead of two, and bill payment is due monthly rather than bi-monthly.

The meter reading periods for consumption usage will be approximately 30 days. However, depending on the read date, your new bill will typically reflect usage in a range of 28 to 32 days of service. 

For both the Water and Sewer Services, the usage tiers will be halved as well as the base rates. 

For more information please look at our Water and Sewer Usage and Base Charges Change Table Here. 

Each new bill will provide new updated information on what is happening in the City. So, check out our newsletters for what is happening near you.