San José Municipal Water System (Muni Water) – City of San José Environmental Services Department
North San José/Alviso, Evergreen/Edenvale, and Coyote Valley service areas within San José
Population reference
Approximately 98,198 people served by active PWS CA4310020, as identified in the City’s current water-supply evaluation; the City’s 2020 Urban Water Management Plan reported 26,094 metered connections. Muni Water supplies roughly 12% of San José and serves North San José/Alviso, Evergreen/Edenvale, and Coyote Valley rather than the entire city.
Billing detail
Broad public detail found
Official destination
Open provider website ↗Provider-specific findings
Billing and account research from public material
Provider-specific research notes are displayed separately from fields that contain only an unavailable-information marker. Read qualifiers in each note and verify current account terms with the provider.
- Billing frequency
- Usually bi-monthly for Muni Water accounts, with the current rate page stating that meter charges are billed every two months and displaying monthly-equivalent charges for convenience. The adopted water-service policy allows customers to be read and billed monthly or bi-monthly depending on the service address and Council rate schedule. Bills are due in full upon presentation, and the bill date controls the 25-day delinquency calculation.
- Rate structure
- Flat volumetric pricing by service area and elevation zone, plus a bi-monthly meter-size service charge and a 5% utility tax. The current City rate table lists monthly-equivalent 3/4-inch meter service of $39.35, doubled on an actual bi-monthly bill, and quantity charges per HCF (748 gallons) of $8.63 in Evergreen/Edenvale Zone 1, $8.77 in Zone 2, $9.19 in Zones 3/4, $9.73 in Zones 5/6, $3.47 in Coyote Valley, and $9.29 in Alviso/North San José. The July 1, 2026 rate-notice schedule identifies the 2026-27 proposed/new figures as $40.13 monthly meter service and $8.79–$9.91 per HCF in the Evergreen/North San José areas and $3.53 in Coyote; the applicable location and elevation zone determine the bill.
- Residential cost reference
- For a 3/4-inch account using 5,000–7,000 gallons (approximately 6.7–9.4 HCF per month), the July 1, 2026 rate-notice water component is roughly $100–$145 per month including the 5% utility tax, before private fireline or other special charges. Adding the July 2026 proposed single-family sewer charge of approximately $51.73 per month produces a planning estimate of about $152–$197 for water and sanitary sewer; the actual amount varies materially by Evergreen elevation zone, North San José/Alviso versus Coyote service area, meter size, and billing period.
- Wastewater and sewer calculation
- Residential sanitary sewer service is an annual property-based charge collected through the Santa Clara County tax collector rather than a normal water-meter line item on the City utility bill. The July 1, 2026 rate notice proposes $51.73 per month ($620.76 per year) for a single-family residence, $34.66 per month per multiple-family unit, and $39.05 per month per mobile-home unit; the current rate page displays the corresponding current figures of $50.67, $33.95, and $38.25. Commercial, institutional, and light-industrial charges use adjusted water-consumption data and class-specific strength rates; annual consumption is estimated from the prior fiscal year’s January, February, and March water use to minimize landscape-irrigation effects. Monitored industrial users are billed monthly from actual or estimated sewage flow and BOD, suspended-solids, and ammonia measurements.
- Meter reading
- The City’s Utilities: Water Service Policies and Procedures state that Muni Water reads all meters monthly or bi-monthly, depending on the service address and adopted resolution, and bills the resulting service and consumption charges accordingly. The current rate page states that actual billing is bi-monthly and publishes meter-size charges as monthly equivalents. Public customer pages do not identify an AMI/AMR manufacturer, transmission interval, or route-day schedule; the current 2026 system description is therefore scheduled monthly/bi-monthly meter reading with consumption shown on the bill and future WaterSmart/AquaTrax leak and usage portals.
- New-account deposit
- For an existing service connection, the City’s public Muni Water customer-service materials do not publish a standard residential startup deposit, credit-check waiver, or deposit-return schedule. New or enlarged physical water services require a completed Water Service Application and a deposit equal to the City’s cost estimate for design and construction; the City refunds the difference if actual construction costs are lower and issues a supplemental bill if costs exceed the estimate. Account setup for an existing meter is handled by calling (408) 535-3500.
- Activation or transfer fee
- No separate current residential account-opening or name-transfer fee is published on the public Muni Water customer-service pages. Customers starting or stopping service should contact (408) 535-3500. New physical service connections are cost-estimated individually and require a construction deposit plus applicable connection fees; this is distinct from simply establishing an account on an existing meter.
Context, not a score
How documentation coverage compares
This profile
100%
overview fields with research notes
California
67%
records with any overview detail
National index
50%
records with any overview detail
Coverage measures what this directory documented. It does not measure service quality, affordability, or regulatory compliance.
Research record
Broad public detail found
7 of 7 fields in this section contain provider-specific public detail in dataset August 1, 2026.
Documented
100%
Primary verification routes
- San José Municipal Water System (Muni Water) – City of San José Environmental Services Department public website ↗
Provider-controlled destination used to confirm current customer instructions.
- csd.ca.gov reference ↗
Public URL preserved in the compiled record. Confirm its publisher, date, and applicability before relying on it.
- EPA SDWIS / ECHO lookup (CA4310020) ↗
Search the federal drinking-water database using public water system ID CA4310020.