FAQs

Antes de comprar un sistema para tratamiento del agua potable, tenga entendido que nuestra agua potable excede todas las normas de calidad y además es examinada regularmente. Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre la calidad del agua por favor llame al: 541-774-2430. Si usted compró un sistema de “American Home Solutions” and quisiera ayuda llame:
Help Now! Advocacy Center
541-732-1911
helpnowadvocacy.org

Medford Water accepts payment by most major credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) online, at the front counter, and over the telephone. You also may continue to pay by cash (in person only), check, money order, or online payments through your bank. We also offer an Automatic Payment Plan that deducts the payment from your checking account. Please find out more here, or call 541-774-2430 for information about signing up for this plan.

There is a service billing minimum of five days. This means that if you only have water service for one day you will still be billed for five days of service, and we will not discontinue service in your name until the fifth billing day.

Medford Water discontinues service on the day requested by the tenant. A landlord would need to contact us and request that the property continue to receive service before the tenant moves out, otherwise the water will be shut off. See our Landlord/Tenant Agreement page for more information.

You can come into or call the office during business hours: 541-774-2430. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. A deposit is required for rental accounts.

Any deposit will be credited to the account after twelve months of prompt payments. If you move in less than a year’s time, the deposit will be applied to your closing bill. If there is a credit balance, a refund check will be issued to you.

If the water service is off, call our emergency after-hours number: 541-779-7611; a service person will be dispatched. An after-hours service fee in addition to a deposit will be required.

Bills are due 15 days after the date of billing.

The water bill includes:

• Volume charges, based on usage
• Monthly meter charge
• Residential backflow prevention charge

Additional charges, depending on your location in the system:

• High elevation service charge

For information regarding water charges call 541-774-2430 or see our Water Rates page or our Understanding Your Bill page.

While the “meter charge” shown remains the same each month, a portion of the water charge varies according to the amount of water used during the billing period (the “volume charges.”) For our single-family residential customers, the volume charge is based on tiers that are less at lower water usage levels than at higher levels.

Tiered rate structures are quite common, as they enable water for basic household necessities to be priced particularly affordably, while providing customers greater ability to influence their overall water charges through management of the more optional water uses associated with higher usage levels. As our costs increase substantially at higher water usage levels, under this structure those customers with higher demands also pay more for the system costs that result from their high usage.
 
To provide a frame of reference, most residential customers remain within the lowest tier (of 5,000 gallons) during the winter months. If your use exceeds this amount in the winter, it may be beneficial for you to look for possible leaks or consider replacing old plumbing fixtures with new efficient options. Note that we have rebates for replacing old toilets.
 
The second tier extends to an average usage level for residential customers during typical summer months (25,000 gallons). This is a much more generous allowance under a second tier than most utilities utilize. If your usage goes into the highest tier, you might consider changes to your landscape or irrigation to reduce your water use. We offer services to assist you. These include suggested sprinkler scheduling times based on current weather, which you can access by calling our automated Lawn Watering Infoline at 541-774-2460. We also offer free sprinkler system evaluations that many customers find very beneficial; call us at 541-774-2435 if you’d like to schedule one.

In order to serve customers whose property is located in higher elevation zones, water needs to be pumped into these areas and stored in large tanks. There are additional expenses associated with operation of such facilities, including power and maintenance costs. High elevation charges reflect these additional expenses, which are charged to those customers who benefit from the necessary pumping and storage facilities.

Yes. You can view billing and consumption histories, receive electronic/paperless bills, and pay online; visit our Services Website (My Account). For more details about our payment options, click here.

You may drop your payment—CHECKS ONLY (no cash)—and payment stub, in an envelope, into one of our drop boxes listed below. The box outside our building is checked once a day, and your payment will be forwarded to us by USPS mail from the other boxes on the same day; however, please be aware that processing by USPS may cause a delay of more than seven to ten days.  

• Medford Water, in the City Hall Lausmann Annex, 200 S. Ivy Street, Room 177, or the collection box outside the parking lot entrance to the building
• Albertsons, 910 N. Phoenix Rd., Medford 
• Albertsons, 113 N. Ross Ln., Medford
• Avista Utilities, 580 Business Park Dr., Medford

It may take more than seven to ten days for our office to receive your payment; in many cases the bank cuts a check and mails it to us, which may be delayed due to processing through the post office. This is important to keep in mind if you’re paying a bill that is already delinquent.

Protection from potential backflow contamination is an important safeguard for water quality, and all water utilities in Oregon are required to operate backflow prevention programs. This includes assurance that certain backflow prevention devices are tested each year. Several years ago, the Medford Water determined that it was easier and more effective, both for customers and our utility, for us to undertake this task on behalf of its single-family residential customers. A small monthly charge provides the funding for this program. This benefits those single-family residences with backflow prevention devices, as well as providing assurance to nearby properties that their neighbor’s backflow device(s) are providing the intended protection. We are continuing to expand this program to assure that all such devices are receiving annual testing, and customers with backflow prevention devices not already registered with our program are encouraged to notify us at 541-774-2430 to enroll their devices in our testing program.

For a quick-reference guide to utility and customer responsibility with regards to water piping components, see the graphic below. If you are not a Medford Water customer, contact your local jurisdictions to learn more about the pipe materials in your local water system.

It is always advisable to have an emergency supply of water on hand.

After a disaster, clean drinking water may not be available due to contamination of a water source or damaged service lines. Water professionals will be working to restore water service, but they cannot reach everyone immediately, and it might take several days for help to reach you and your family. When it comes to water, experts recommend that each person in the family have a water supply equal to one gallon per day for 14 days, due to the higher earthquake risk in our region and the possibility that water systems and infrastructure may be severely damaged (general national recommendations are one gallon per day for 3 days). Your household needs may be even greater; be sure to think of each family member’s specific requirements (including pets).

Helpful information regarding storage of drinking water for emergency preparation is available at ready.gov/water, including container (specifically approved for potable water, BPA-free if plastic, etc.) and sanitization recommendations. For a full list of recommended supplies, go to ready.gov/kit.

Find our open positions on our Careers page.

The Board of Water Commissioners meets twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays. These meetings are open to the public, and there is an opportunity for public comment at every meeting; they are generally held in the Medford Police Department’s Prescott Room, at approximately 12:15 p.m. unless otherwise stated (+/-; shall begin at the conclusion of the study session). Please refer to the agenda for each meeting (available at Board of Water Commissioners page) as locations and times are subject to change. For more information, call 541-774-2440.

There is an opportunity for public comment at every meeting; please refer to the agenda item labeled “Comments from the Audience”. Public Hearings also offer opportunities to speak on a specific item. Comments are limited to 4 minutes.

Unlike City Council members, board members are private citizens appointed by the mayor rather than elected, and their contact information is not public information. Please call our office at 541-774-2440 or email water@medfordwater.org if you would like to contact board members. You may also send mail for board members to our office at 200 S. Ivy Street – Room 177, Medford, Oregon 97501.

Go to our Board of Water Commissioners page to view agendas and minutes, or to learn more about the Board of Water Commissioners. Call our office at 541-774-2440 or email water@medfordwater.org if you would like more information.