Office hours vary among districts. You can find your local Customer Center’s hours on the District Information page.

For water emergencies, call your local Cal Water office.

To stop your water service, visit the Start or Stop Service page.

If you are moving within our service area and would like to transfer your service, please contact your local Cal Water office.

The California Division of Drinking Water only authorizes Cal Water to take responsibility for the water system on the utility side of the water meter. Customers are responsible for maintaining the plumbing on their side of the meter, as illustrated in the below diagram.

Cal Water’s affiliate CWS Utility Services has contracted with HomeServe to offer optional insurance coverage for residents’ plumbing. For details, see the insurance page on this site.

You can interrupt the flow of water to your home by turning off your house valve. House valves are usually located beneath a faucet outside the home, most typically near the faucet for the garden hose. If you cannot find your house valve, please contact your local Customer Center for assistance.

Reading your water meter will tell you how much water you’re using and whether you have a leak. Most meters are located near the curb in front of your home under a concrete lid. Cal Water uses 100 cubic feet (Ccf) of water as a billing unit, so you should monitor your water usage using these units, as described below.

There are two basic types of meters: the straight-reading meter and the round-reading meter.

Straight-reading meter (reading: 123 Ccf)	Round-reading meter (reading: 123 Ccf)

If you have a straight-reading meter, simply read and record the figures shown in white (123). Subtract your last reading from this reading to determine your usage in hundreds of cubic feet. To convert your usage to gallons, multiply by 748. To check for leaks, observe the large sweep or test hand for at least 15 minutes with all water turned off. If there is any movement, there is a leak.

To read the round-reading meter, begin with the dial labeled 100,000 and read clockwise to the dial labeled 1,000. If the hand on any dial is between two numbers, use the lower number. The hands on individual dials may rotate either clockwise or counter clockwise. Subtract your last reading from this reading to determine usage. The “one foot” dial may be used to detect leaks. If there is any movement while all water is turned off for at least 15 minutes, there may be water leaking.

To effectively monitor your usage, we suggest you read your meter daily or weekly.

To comply with insurance and liability requirements, an adult must be present when water service is turned on.

A leaking toilet can be annoying and wasteful. To check if your toilet has a leak, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If coloring is seen in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak. To pinpoint the leak, follow these simple steps:

• If the tank is not filling with water, the float ball is not returning to the seat properly.
• Check to see if the linkage that connects to the trip lever is hung up.
• If that doesn’t work, then the ball needs to be replaced. A flapper ball can replace a worn flush valve ball.
• If the tank is full of water, and water is flowing into the overflow tube, then the valve is not shutting off correctly.
• Lift up on the float ball. If the water shuts off, then the ball is not sitting properly in the tank. This could be caused by two things:
  • The ball has a leak and is full of water. Replace with another ball or flapper.
  • The float ball needs adjusting. Use the screw at the base of the rod to lower the float ball so that the water level is 1/2 to 1 inch below the overflow tube.
• If water does not shut off when you lift up on the float ball, then the valve itself needs to be repaired or replaced. Repair kits and new valves with easy to follow instructions are available at local hardware stores.
• If water is not flowing into the overflow tube, but constantly runs or periodically turns on and off, the flush ball or flapper is not fitting snugly into the flush ball seat. When seats get old, they get pitted and allow water to leak past the seal and down the drain. Minerals and other deposits may also build up on the seat, making it rough.
• If worn, replace the flush ball or flapper.
• If the problem persists, the seat can be cleaned with steel wool, covered with a repair seal, or replaced.