The following fees and penalties may be incurred on your utility account. Below are the current fees effective July 1, 2023. (amounts of fees and penalties are subject to change): 

Account Setup Fee — $42

This is the standard account set-up fee for ALL new utility accounts. This is a one-time, non-refundable fee; it is not a deposit. Service can be set-up for the next business day when called in before 4 pm.

After Hours Setup Fee — $507

This is the cost for account setup when setup is required on the same day. This fee includes the standard $43 account setup fee. As this type of request dispatches a standby technician, it cannot be canceled once activated. This is a one-time, non-refundable fee; it is not a deposit.

Late Fee — $15 or 1.5%

Anytime an account is not paid in full by the due date (15th of every month), a late fee will be charged amounting to $15 or 1.5% of the total past due balance, whichever is greater.

Returned Payments — $25

Payments returned by the bank, regardless of reason, will be applied back to the account, a $25 returned payment fee will be incurred, and a notification letter will be sent. The returned payment is immediately considered past due, and will fall into the next shutoff proceeding if not paid by the due date in the notification letter.

Service Termination and Restoration — $57

If customers fail to pay their bill by the date on their delinquency notice, the water/sewer service to the address in question will be terminated on the following business day. This termination includes a lock on the meter preventing the customer from restoring service. A $57 service termination and restoration penalty will be assessed to the account, which will be due along with the entire past due balance before service will be restored. For a residential customer who demonstrates household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, this fee will be reduced to $50.

Note: Termination of service due to lack of payment does not preclude the account from incurring new charges. The base fees for water and sewer use will continue to be applied to the account each month even if no actual water is used.

Water meters in the City of San Luis Obispo are owned by the City and therefore are City Property. If the lock on a water meter is intentionally broken or removed by anyone other than a City Utilities Services Technician, the City may, at its discretion, consider any or all of the following penalties and actions:

• Removal of water meter and $50 penalty to the customer account. The meter will be re-installed when all outstanding balances have been paid.
• Citation from the City for tampering with City property (City Municipal Code §13.04.150 B) and any charges necessary to repair all damage to said property and/or its housing.
• Misdemeanor charge, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding one year (City Municipal Code §13.04.250; §1.12.030).