Questions and Answers

General FAQs

What is the difference between Wholesale and Retail?
The District sells large amounts of water to other retail agencies for delivery to their own customers. San Juan keeps a separate accounting of all revenue and expenses for each division so that our Retail customers only pay for the cost to provide service to our Retail service area. Our Wholesale division sells water to the following agencies:

Customer Service and Billing FAQs

How do I recognize San Juan field staff?
San Juan Water District does not test water inside homes and staff members always identity themselves. San Juan Water District does not test water inside homes and staff members always identity themselves. Before letting a person identifying themselves as a utility worker into your home, please verify they are an official San Juan Water District employee by…

Rebate and Program FAQs

Do you offer any rebate programs?
We are excited to offer our customers a variety of rebates for irrigation improvements and high-efficiency washing machines and toilets. Visit our rebates page for more information.

Water Rates FAQs

How are the rates calculated?
The water rates include a daily fixed charge and a water usage charge. The daily fixed charge is based on the size of each customer’s water meter and is intended to recover a proportionate share of the fixed costs associated with operating and maintaining the system. The usage charge is based on a uniform water usage rate multiplied by each customer’s water usage…

Water Quality FAQs

Where does my water come from?
Your water flows straight from the pristine American River watershed to Folsom Lake.

Water Efficiency FAQs

Should I use more water now so I can meet the state mandate to reduce my water use by 20% by the year 2020?
Increasing your water usage now will not help the District meet the state mandate to reduce water use by 20% by 2020. The baseline water use has already been determined using a baseline prior to 2009. State law requires the District to meet a 10% interim reduction requirement in 2015 and a…

Water Supply FAQs

Does San Juan Water District have adequate water supplies even in drought conditions?
San Juan Water District Wholesale has the oldest water rights on the north fork of the American River, dating back to 1853. These are called senior water rights under California water rights law. San Juan's water is the last to be diverted, or used; water agencies with junior water rights are required to have…

Folsom Lake Water Releases FAQ

How are Folsom Lake levels determined? What agency determines them?
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation operates Folsom Reservoir and water releases are coordinated with other large reservoirs in California. While Northern California reservoirs are at or above normal conditions for this time of year in 2016, other reservoirs in the southern part of the state remain below average.

District Revenue and Expense FAQs

Where does San Juan’s revenue come from and how is it spent?
The San Juan Water District receives revenues from several sources, but the largest source is from rate revenues, as illustrated in this pie chart:

District Staffing and Compensation FAQs

Why hasn’t San Juan reduced its staffing levels?
Due to the size of the Retail service area as compared to the Retail staffing level, the District is adequately staffed. (See the comparisons listed under “How does the number of San Juan’s Retail employees compare to other retail agencies?”). However, with only 27.9 employees to serve more than 30,000 residents customers, there simply isn’t extra…

Board Member Compensation FAQs

What is board member compensation and how does it compare to other agencies?
Board members are elected by a vote of the people. They are compensated with a flat per-meeting stipend set according to state law for the time they spend on San Juan business. This is common practice for special districts throughout the State of California.

Construction FAQs

If you have questions related to engineering or construction, learn more in our Construction FAQ section.