Payment channels

Pay City of Santa Barbara Water Resources - Utility Billing

Use the provider’s verified online, telephone, mail, or counter instructions. Check the final confirmation screen for the amount, processing date, and any transaction fee before submitting.

Primary online route

Use the official payment portal

The direct portal is the fastest route when it is available. The provider identifies its payment gateway as WaterSmart. Never enter account credentials into a lookalike site reached through an unsolicited message.

Open payment portal ↗

Telephone payment

Phone IVR

1-855-844-0038

Have your account number and payment instrument ready. Follow the provider’s recorded prompts and retain the confirmation number.

Alternative channels

Mail, text, and in-person payment instructions

Pay by text

After signing in or registering at the Santa Barbara WaterSmart portal, open the Billing section, select Bill Settings, and choose Pay by Text. The City describes this as an enrollment option for bill notifications and payment by text; customers should complete the portal's phone verification and default-payment setup before replying to a payment prompt.

Mail-in address

City of Santa Barbara, P.O. Box 60000, Los Angeles, CA 90060-6000. The City separately lists Utility Billing correspondence at P.O. Box 1990, Santa Barbara, CA 93102; checks should use the payment address and include the payment stub.

Counters, drop boxes, and office hours

Billing/cashier service is at City Hall, Business Office, 735 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Public counter hours are Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; the counter is closed Fridays, and the City Hall payment drop box is scheduled to permanently close May 1, 2026. Telephone billing staff are generally available Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., closed alternate Fridays. The reviewed page does not promise that every desk payment instrument is accepted, so customers should confirm cash, check and card rules before visiting.

Accepted digital instruments

What you can use online

WaterSmart supports bank-account ACH/e-check, debit card and credit card for one-time, recurring and phone payments. The City specifically says routing and account numbers can be used for ACH, while the card option is subject to a processing fee; Apple Pay and Google Pay are not identified.

2026 transaction pricing

Convenience fees

Credit and debit card payments are charged 2.95% with a $2.95 minimum processing fee, including online, phone, in-office and AutoPay card payments. ACH/e-check payments do not carry that processing fee according to the City's 2026 payment notices.

Fees can vary by payment type, channel, account class, and processor terms. The checkout screen is the final fee disclosure.

Payment guidance

Choose the payment channel that fits your deadline

The safest payment path is the one published by City of Santa Barbara Water Resources - Utility Billing and matched to the account information on your bill. Online portals are convenient, but telephone, mail, counter, and drop-box options may follow different posting schedules and may use different fees.

For a routine payment, save the final confirmation page or IVR number and check when the transaction will post. For a same-day shut-off notice, do not assume that submitting a card payment automatically stops a field order; ask the provider what amount and confirmation are required.

Never send your account number, password, card details, or bank information to Water Ledger. Those details belong only on the provider’s verified payment channel or at an authorized counter.

Return to utility profile →Review shut-off rules →