What Do I Do In
The Event Of A...?
Who Do I
Contact...?
How Long Do You
Keep My Deposit?
Why Was My
Service Discontinued When You Have My Deposit on File?
Why Do I Have to Pay
Sewer in Advance?
What Services
Does the Vandenberg Village Community Services Provide?
Is My Drinking Water
Safe?
Does My Drinking
Water Contain Fluoride?
Is My Water Hard?
Why are my dishes spotty?
What Is
Cryptosporidium?
Why Does My Hot Water
Occasionally Smell like Rotten Eggs?
What Do I Do When My
Water Is Temporarily Turned off For Repairs?
What Type of
Water Softener Can I Have?
How Do I Check for a
Leak?
Who Do I Contact When
I Want to Do Construction In My Yard?
Why Is My Water
Pressure So High (Low)?
Who Provides
Utilities to Vandenberg Village?
LEAK
POWER OUTAGE
The District uses electric pumps to produce clean water. A power failure means that water stored in our tanks is our only supply, perhaps for hours or even days. Please reduce your water usage during a power outage and don't water your lawn or garden until the power comes back on again.
EARTHQUAKE (Click here for earthquake preparedness tips)
A severe earthquake can knock out our water and sewer systems. After the quake our emergency crews will be making repairs in the order of importance.
REGARDING AN EMERGENCY?
Please call 911 or the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's substation at 737-7737.
REGARDING WATER AND WASTEWATER QUESTIONS?
Call the District office at 733-2475 Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
REGARDING STORM DRAINS?
Please contact the Santa Barbara County Roads Department at 737-7773
REGARDING STREET LIGHTS?
Please contact Pacific Gas & Electric at 1-800-743-5000 with the street lamp number from the base of the pole or fill out the form at http://www.pge.com/myhome/customerservice/ contact/streetlight/single/index.shtml
REGARDING EVENTS IN THE VILLAGE?
Please contact the Vandenberg Village Association via the phone numbers included in the VVA Newsletter.
REGARDING TRASH SERVICE IN THE VILLAGE?
Please contact Health Sanitation at 1-800-727-5923.
REGARDING REGULATIONS WITHIN THE VILLAGE?
Please contact Santa Barbara County at 737-7705.
Your deposit is kept on file for 24 months from the date service is started, date of last NSF, date of discontinuance of service or until you leave the District, whichever happens first. It is returned to you as a credit on your bill.
Security deposits are collected to protect the District in the event the premises are abandoned. This is not a guarantee that services will not be interrupted should the customer not pay the bill. The deposit is applied to the closing bill only, unless previously returned.
The sewer service charge and LRWRP Upgrade charge are billed in advance for the following month and we ask that they be paid in advance. When services are taken out of the customer's name at that address, these charges are prorated for the number of days the account is open from the date of the last billing and any unused sewer charge is credited to the closing bill.
The advance sewer payment we collect from new accounts when starting service covers one month sewer service charge and LRWRP Upgrade charge. New customers will notice that these charges are higher on their initial bill. That is because they are billed the prorated sewer charges starting from the date service began as well as the next month's charges. We ask that new customers pay one month in advance and this payment is shown as a credit on the first bill from VVCSD.
Vandenberg Village Community Services District provides water and wastewater service to the unincorporated area of Vandenberg Village.
California is recognized as having the most stringent drinking water requirements in the country and is one of the few states that require annual water quality reports distributed to every customer. The water produced by Vandenberg Village Community Services District tests below the maximum contaminant level allowed for each contaminant. Extra copies of our annual water quality report are available at the District office.
Vandenberg Village Community Services District does not add fluoride to the water but it does occur naturally. Our tests show approximately 0.30 mg of fluoride per liter.
Hardness of water is a measure for the content of calcium and magnesium in water and is a personal preference issue not regulated by the California Department of Health Services. While hard water can leave a deposit on plumbing fixtures, water softeners can be corrosive to water pipes and can discharge large amounts of salt into the wastewater system.
The American Water Works Association suggests an ideal hardness of 79 mg/L. The average hardness of the water in Vandenberg Village during 2008 was 350 mg/L (20.47 grains/gallon).
Vandenberg Village water is high in mineral content so you may notice dishes out of the dishwasher are cloudy or spotted. Please see this article from USA Today for dishwasher tips:
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/your-look/2011-03-10-fiveways10_ST_N.htm?csp=34#
Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes an illness called cryptosporidiosis when ingested. Cryptosporidium is found in surface water sources such as rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs. The water treated for Vandenberg Village comes from deep underground wells and is believed to be safe from the parasite.
The rotten egg smell is caused by hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) gas. Although the smell is unpleasant it is not harmful. Water heater tanks can provide an ideal environment for the production of hydrogen sulfide gas because it is a result of the corrosion of metals, such as the steel in a water heater. Although most water heaters are glass lined to prevent corrosion, it is impossible to prevent cracks from occurring. To protect the steel exposed by cracks in the glass, a magnesium anode rod is used in water heaters to prevent the production of hydrogen sulfide. When this rod becomes too corroded it loses its efficiency and the rotten egg smell is produced. This rod can be replaced by a water heater dealer.
Unless it is an emergency, we will notify customers that the water will be off. When you receive this notification, please draw enough water for your use while service is off. Fill your tub half full to use for flushing your toilet and refrigerate a pitcher of water for drinking. Although you will still have water in your toilet tank and hot water heater, you should refrain from using that water unless absolutely necessary. Once the water is back on, you may experience "dirty" water or air in the pipes. Let the water run for a few minutes to clear the system. Although it is unsightly, the "dirt" in the water is only mineral deposits loosened in the pipes and is harmless.
Self-regenerating water softeners (to which you add salt) discharge a strong brine into the wastewater system. At the wastewater treatment plant in Lompoc some of this salt is removed by treatment and the rest percolates into the groundwater supply. We recommend exchange canisters from a commercial vending service for those that prefer softened water. If you prefer the self-generating type, we ask that you purchase Potassium Chloride instead of Sodium Chloride, as it is beneficial to the environment and does not contain brine.
To check for a possible leak:
To determine the location of the leak:
Who repairs the leak?
If a leak is indicated by the movement of the meter, it is on the customer's property and therefore the customer is responsible for the leak repair. Our servicepersons are not allowed to perform repairs on the customer's property. However, we may be able to help with an adjustment to your bill, please contact the District office at (805) 733-2475 after the leak has been repaired.
It is important to call Underground Service Alert at 1-800-227-2600 before you do any digging. They will notify all utilities in the area to mark their lines. Failure to do so can result in fines up to $10,000.
Because our lines are pressurized by gravity as the water is delivered from the two one-million gallon tanks on top of the hill behind the Village, your water pressure should remain constant. The State of California allows us to deliver water at 25 to 120 psi (pounds per square inch) and our District Ordinance limits it to 40 to 120 psi. The pressure in your home depends mostly on where you are located in the Village, average pressures in the Village are between 45 psi to 115 psi depending on the elevation. Residents at the bottom of hills will be in the higher pressure range, while those at the top of hills will be in the lower range. Abnormally low pressure can be caused by a leak, a partially closed house valve, a faulty water softener canister or a misadjusted or faulty pressure regulator. High pressure can be controlled by installing a pressure regulator.
WATER/WASTEWATER
Vandenberg Village Community
Services District
3757 Constellation Road
Lompoc, CA 93436
(805) 733-2475
TELEPHONE
Verizon
1-800-483-4000
ELECTRIC
Pacific Gas and Electric
201 West Chapel Street
Santa Maria, CA 93454
1-800-743-5000
GAS
Southern California Gas
128 South H Street
Lompoc, CA 93436
1-800-427-2200
TRASH
Health Sanitation/Waste
Management
1850 W. Betteravia Road
Santa Maria, CA 93454
1-800-727-5923
TELEVISION
Comcast Cable
1145 North H Street, Suite B
Lompoc, CA 93436
1-888-255-5789
DirecTV
1-888-777-2454
Dish Network
1-800-823-4929