Culver City Observer -

Golden State Water Company (Golden State Water) recognizes that the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency is having a direct impact on many customers, which is why we have activated our Emergency Disaster Relief Program to provide additional protections for customers and help them through this unprecedented time.

Golden State Water provides a critical service that our customers and communities cannot live without. Our team of water professionals is proud to provide this essential service and remains committed to ensuring customers have reliable water at their taps when they need it.

Emergency Disaster Relief Protections

Golden State Water recently filed an Advice Letter with the State of California to activate its Emergency Disaster Relief Program, which provides additional protections for residential and small business customers impacted by a public health emergency, wildfire or other natural disaster. The filing was submitted on March 19, 2020, following California Governor Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a State of Emergency.

In March 2020, Golden State Water announced a temporary moratorium on residential service disconnections for non-payment. The Emergency Disaster Relief Program provides the additional protections for customers who suffer emergency-related financial hardships, loss or disruption of the delivery or receipt of service, and/or degradation of the quality of service:

• Cooperation and support in resolving prior unpaid bills;

• Waiver of reconnection or facilities fees for affected customers, and suspension of deposits for affected customers who must reconnect to the system;

• Additional flexibility in payment options for affected customers;

• Waiver of bills for customers who lose their homes or if their homes are rendered uninhabitable; and,

• Waiver of any fixed portion of a water bill, such as a meter charge, for the time that the home is uninhabitable, even if the reason for it being uninhabitable is not loss of water service.

We encourage customers experiencing financial hardship to contact our Customer Service Center at 800.999.4033 to discuss payment extension and payment plan options that may be available to keep their accounts in good standing.

The Emergency Disaster Relief Program meets compliance with CPUC Resolution No. M-4833, which establishes the aforementioned protections during an emergency event for customers served by CPUC-regulated water providers in the state of California, such as Golden State Water.

Golden State Water wants customers to know we will be there for them if they are ever impacted by a life-changing public health emergency, wildfire of other natural disaster.

24/7 Customer Support

Although our customer service offices have been temporarily closed to protect customers and employees from the spread of COVID-19, Golden State Water customers still have 24-hour access to our team. Customers with questions or service-related needs are encouraged to visit http://www.gswater.com, enroll in the MyGSWater self-service portal, or you can speak with knowledgeable customer service representatives by phone (800.999.4033) or email (customerservice@gswater.com).

Bill Payment Options

Golden State Water offers multiple options for customers to pay their bills online, by phone, via mail and in-person with cash at participating KUBRA-EZ PAY retail locations. To learn more about the different payment options, please visit our Payment Options website.

For customers who choose to pay in-person with cash at a participating KUBRA-EZ PAY retail location, Golden State Water will refund the $1.95 service fee while customer service offices remain closed due to this emergency. The courtesy refund will be credited on your next water bill.

During the temporary office closure period, local drop payment services will not be available.

The health and safety of our customers and employees are a top priority. To learn more about COVID-19, customers are encouraged to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.CDC.Gov/coronavirus.

Golden State Water has been a water provider in California for more than 90 years, and our customers are our families, friends and neighbors. We want customers to know we have them covered, so they can focus on the things that matter most.