Municipal Department
City of El Monte Water Department
Serving El Monte municipal water service area, including the central business district and parts of the northwestern and southern City
Population served
22,968 people served by active community water system PWS CA1910038 in the California SDWIS registry. The City’s Public Works description separately reports approximately 3,460 active services serving about 22,700 businesses and households within the City water system.
State system code
FIPS 06
Billing frequency
Bi-monthly in arrears, with regular billing months identified by the City as January, March, May, July, September, and November. The bill is due upon presentation and the water-rate schedule describes a fixed bimonthly meter service charge.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
City of El Monte Water Department operates as a municipal department serving El Monte municipal water service area, including the central business district and parts of the northwestern and southern City. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Metered two-tier bimonthly commodity pricing, with one unit equal to 100 gallons, plus a fixed bimonthly meter service charge based on meter size. The current 2026 schedule lists $0.610 per unit for 0–125 units and $0.776 per unit above 125 units. A 5/8-inch meter has an $86.73 bimonthly base charge; larger meters have higher fixed charges. Private fire-protection and construction-meter charges are separate.. Bills are generated bi-monthly in arrears, with regular billing months identified by the city as january, march, may, july, september, and november. the bill is due upon presentation and the water-rate schedule describes a fixed bimonthly meter service charge., and a typical residential cost reference is For a typical 5/8-inch residential meter using 5,000–7,000 gallons per month, usage is approximately 50–70 units monthly or 100–140 units per bimonthly bill. The 2026 water commodity charge is approximately $61.00–$88.40 per bimonthly bill, and the $86.73 5/8-inch base charge produces an estimated total water cost of roughly $74–$88 per month before sewer, taxes, assessments, or other account charges. The lower end assumes 100 bimonthly units and the upper end assumes 140 units.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
El Monte operates a separate sewer system and does not describe sewer as a simple percentage of metered potable-water intake or a winter-average calculation. The City’s 2025 sewer study states that residential sewer charges use an annual service charge by unit of service, while commercial classes use equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) tied to service characteristics such as units or 1,000 square feet. Sewer charges are therefore based on the adopted sewer rate schedule and EDU/service-unit classification rather than a published residential water-consumption winter average; the 2026 adopted sewer schedule should be used for the property’s exact amount.
Meter and infrastructure notes
The City uses metered service with regular bimonthly billing and a 100-gallon billing unit. The water system has six deep wells, a 1,000,000-gallon reservoir, a 200,000-gallon elevated tank, approximately 46 miles of distribution lines, and 24/7 system monitoring. The official portal exposes usage information, but the reviewed materials do not identify an AMI/AMR vendor, radio transmission interval, or exact route-read calendar; the defensible description is municipal meter reading on the bimonthly billing cycle with online usage history.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
626-580-2100, the after-hours dispatch number for the standby Water Systems Operator. The City says an operator is on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and standby crews respond to water emergencies after business hours. Billing, meter leaks, and service requests are handled by the Water Desk at 626-580-2024 during Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Public Works also lists 626-580-2250 for maintenance matters.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for El Monte municipal water service area, including the central business district and parts of the northwestern and southern City
City of El Monte Water Department is listed here as a municipal department. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.