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 revenues and expenses for each division, so 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 open a new account?
To open a new account, please vist the webpage linked at the bottom title Starting or Stoping Water Service, select the option that best matches your situation, and fill out the form. We will take it from there.

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. 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 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 Reservoir Water Releases FAQ

How are Folsom Reservoir water 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.

Pie chart showing retail revenue sources including water sales, loan proceeds, property taxes, and other revenues with percentages and dollar amounts.

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 usually from rate revenues. In the rare instance that the District needs to issue debt, that can become the largest revenue source for that year, as illustrated in this pie chart:

A chart comparing employees and retail water connections across five water districts.

District Staffing and Compensation FAQs

What is the difference between what San Juan Retail and Wholesale staff members perform in their duties?
San Juan employees’ salaries are paid by either Wholesale or Retail or a combination of both, depending on the position. This organization chart illustrates how much of each District position is paid for by retail revenues and how much by wholesale revenues:

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. San Juan Board members are compensated $200 per meeting, up to 8 meetings per month, one meeting per day. They do not receive any other benefits…

Construction FAQs

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