BCVWD suspends water shutoffs

To assist customers trying to cope with a loss or reduction of income during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District (BCVWD) is temporarily suspending water shutoffs due to nonpayment, as well as late payment fees.

The Board of Directors voted to approve the water shutoff suspension at its Engineering Workshop on March 26. Customers who have fallen behind on water bills are encouraged to call BCVWD at 951-845-9581 for information about how to set up a payment plan.

“Frequent hand washing is key to preventing the spread of coronavirus,” said Board President John Covington. “We want to ensure that everyone has access to this vital resource during this public health crisis.”

The Board also approved temporarily extending the payment grace period to 60 days and waiving the $1.75 credit card processing fee, while offices are closed to the public, in an effort to support online payments.

“As people shelter at home to slow the spread of the virus, households will likely see a rise in their indoor water use,” said Director Andy Ramirez, on behalf of the Board of Directors. “These actions keep water available for increased cooking at home, as well as other essential daily activities like showering and laundry.”

While indoor use may see an increase, spending more time at home is a great opportunity to focus on water conservation – especially making sure outdoor water use is efficient. Customers can find leak check and water saving tips in the BCVWD Conservation Pocket Guide.

BCVWD offices temporarily closed to public

To protect the health of the community and our employees, the BCVWD offices are closed to the public. However, as an essential service, our operations remain open. Details for alternative means of service are below. Our customer service number is still available at (951) 845-9581.

The coronavirus outbreak will not impact your water safety or delivery. BCVWD remains committed to its mission of providing safe, reliable water. We follow all state and federal regulations and testing that keep your tap water safe to drink. There is no evidence that coronavirus transfers through drinking water. If coronavirus was ever detected in the water, our treatment process would remove the virus.

BCVWD will continue to monitor the situation and provides updates as necessary. Ongoing local outbreak updates are available from the County of Riverside at www.rivcoph.org/coronavirus. Additional resources are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov/CoronaVirus/2019-ncov.

BOARD MEETINGS

All Board meetings will take place via teleconference until further notice. Information and instructions on how to participate will be provided on each meeting’s agenda, under Teleconference Notice. Agendas are available on the BCVWD website 72 hours in advance of the meeting. View the BCVWD calendar to find meeting dates.

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO PAY YOUR BILL

Online Payments – Payments can be made online at bcvwd.org.

Phone Payments – You can make a payment over the phone, 24 hours a day with our automated payment system. Call the District’s main telephone line at (951) 845-9581 and select option 3. Have your account number available when making payments over the phone.

Drop Box – The District office is equipped with a drop box located at our headquarters office at 560 Magnolia Ave, Beaumont, CA. 92223. All payments dropped in the drop box are picked throughout the day, Monday – Thursday. Please be sure to include your account number and check made out to Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District.

START/END WATER SERVICE Call the District’s main telephone line at (951) 845-9581 and select option 2 during normal business hours.