Customer Service, Meters and Leak Alerts

If water service to your property has been disrupted, contact the LAWC plant 209-753-6241 and LAWC office 209-753-2409 as soon as possible. Please leave a message with your name, lot number and phone number.  You will receive a call back as soon as your message has been received. The LAWC staff will indicate when an operator will be able to arrive at your property to help troubleshoot the disruption.

Throughout the year, usually in the summer, LAWC must do repairs and maintenance on the water distribution system. For these planned disruptions, we may need to turn water off at a location for a certain length of time and LAWC staff will make every reasonable attempt to contact you prior to the disruption of service. Please advise the LAWC office of your most current email and phone numbers.

For unplanned disruptions, LAWC will make every attempt to notify you of the situation and the estimated time of restored service. We will make every reasonable effort to restore service as soon as possible.

Service Connection

LAWC has a responsibility to deliver water, maintenance and service to every service connection within the distribution area. The service connection is defined as the meter connection in the water box. Therefore, LAWC is responsible for the service of water to and through the water meter. LAWC will maintain water boxes, meters and registers including the transmitter and valves on the line directly before and after the meter.

When LAWC staff arrives, they will test for the flow of water at the service connection. If water is not flowing through the meter, they will work diligently to restore service as soon as possible.  If water is flowing through the meter but is disrupted between the meter and your home fixtures, they will inform you of the situation.  Pipes and plumbing past the meter whether in the ground or throughout your home, are your responsibility.  LAWC operators are not insured or permitted to perform plumbing work in your home.

Plumbers and contractors that work in Bear Valley include:

• Mike Page 753-6124
• Gold Star Plumbing 728-3210
• Sierra Plumbing Co. 795-1909

For digging up your pipe in the ground or doing other outside pipe work try Mike Arnold of Sierra Blue Rock Corp. 209-770-0045.

Meter Reading

Every service connection in the LAWC system has a meter and register recording use. Each register transmits a signal with a unique identifying code and the meter reading.

LAWC picks up the signals by driving around with a radio antenna, the computer does the translating and the readings are transferred to your account.  LAWC reads meters at the end of every month or when a drop in the tank levels indicates a large use or leak. All usage is recorded as hundred cubic feet, CCF for short.  One CCF is approximately 748 gallons.

Leak Alerts

With every meter reading, there are alerts picked up by the computer. A leak alert means continuous water flow through the meter. Specifically, it means water flowed for 24 hours without a 1 hour break.  A leak alert can detect even the slightest drip, 0.125 gallon per minute. LAWC will notify you of a leak alert via email or postcard depending on the type contact information we have on file.

LAWC can help you isolate the leak to either: between the meter and your house valve or past your house valve to somewhere in your home.  All repairs beyond the meter and throughout the home are your responsibility.