The Clovis City Council passed a resolution that extends the water delinquency grace period from 30 days to 60 days, giving residents additional time before their water is shut off.
The new policy is per California State Law SB 998, which requires urban and community water systems, defined as a “public water system that supplies water to more than 200 service connections,” to have a new written policy regarding discontinuation of water service, according to the state’s legislative information website.
The aim of the bill is to “minimize the number of Californians who lose access to water service due to inability to pay.”
The bill states that, “water service discontinuations threaten human health and well-being, and have a disproportionate impact on infants, children, the elderly, low-income families, communities of color, people for whom English is a second language, physically disabled persons, and persons with life-threatening medical conditions.”
The California State Legislature approved SB 998 in September of 2018.
The policy also requires the city to notify residents seven days before their water is shut off and to formalize an appeal process for residents to contest a bill. It goes into effect Feb. 1.