Estimated Bills Explained

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If we can’t read a water meter for any reason, such as inclement weather, we will send a bill with estimated water usage. Once TVWD can read the meter again, the following (true up) bill will be adjusted based on your actual water use:

  • If you were underestimated, your true up bill includes the difference you owe based on actual use, and
  • If you were overestimated, you true up bill based includes a credit for the amount you were billed on the estimated bill.. 

The only charge on your bill that is based on the meter read is the water volume. Fixed charges, and charges from Clean Water Services (CWS), our billing partner who handles storm and wastewater management services, are not variable based on your meter read.  

Examples of bills that were estimated and how the amount due is accurate or trued-up at the next bill cycle are provided. If you have any questions about an estimated bill, please contact customer service at: 503.848-3000 or customerservice@tvwd.org.

Example A - Estimate was lower than actual water use
Example B - Estimate was higher to actual water use
 

Frequently Asked Questions

How are customers notified of estimated bills?

If your account was estimated, an insert was included to call attention to the estimation process. Customers enrolled in paperless billing were emailed, alerting them to the estimated billing process. Information is also printed directly on your bill and included on your customer portal account.

Category: Estimations
How is water consumption estimated?

For most customers, usage is estimated by:

  • 80% of last year’s water consumption over the same billing period, if your account was active last year.
  • District average use of 14 ccf, if you did not have an account in the same billing period last year.
  • Customers were billed $0 for consumption, if you did not have any consumption during the prior billing cycle.
  • Connections by builders were billed the same amount as the prior cycle.

If usage falls outside a set range, a customer service representative makes a good faith estimate based on past usage.

Category: Estimations
Why are there two lines for water charges on the true up bill?

There are two lines for water volume charges on the true up bill to replicate the use over the two billing cycles. If all four months were totaled together in a  single line, customers would be more likely to enter into Block 2 rates, which is a volume charge that recovers the cost of the water system size that is required to deliver peak water demand. 

One CCF is 748 gallons. CCF is 100 cubic feet of water.

Single Family Residential Class:

Block 1 = Water use up to 28CCF every two months (28CCF = 20,944 gallons)

Block 2 = All consumption over 28 CCF every two months.

Commercial and All Other Classes: 

Block 1 = Water use up to 140% of 12-month moving average

Block 2 = All consumption exceeding the Block 1 Threshold

Category: Estimations
Why does TVWD estimate water consumption?

TVWD estimates water usage when staff can’t safety read your water meter, such as during inclement weather, or when other factors, such as staffing shortage or an inaccesible meter prevent the District from completing the meter reading as scheduled.

Category: Estimations
What do I do if I think I have a water leak?

Visit our Leak Detection Web page or call us at 503-848-3000.

Category: Estimations

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