1. Determine where the leak is and turn off the water supply (valve under sink, house valve). If the leak is outside, contact the District to turn off the water at the meter.
2. Determine the severity of the leak.
3. Determine the origin of the leak. See the How Do I Check for a Leak? section below for instructions on how to find the leak.
   1. If the leak is within your house or from the meter to your house, contact a plumber.
   2. If the leak is between the meter and the curb or in the street, contact the District at 733-2475 (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., weekends and holidays, call 733-3615).
   3. If you cannot determine where the leak is originating, the District can help.
4. After the leak is repaired, contact VVCSD Customer Service at (805) 733-2475. We may be able to provide an adjustment to your bill.

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.

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.

1.  If you have a broken water pipe, shut off your water at the main valve.
2.  Water in your hot water tank is drinkable as is the water in your toilet tank if you do not use an in-tank chemical cleaner.
3.  Listen to your radio to hear information regarding Vandenberg Village.
4.  Do not use the washing machine, dishwasher, shower or tub until you hear that the water system is operating.
5.  Do not flush toilets or use drains until you hear the sewer system is operating.

Please call 911 or the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's substation at 737-7737.

Call the District office at 733-2475 Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Please contact the Santa Barbara County Roads Department at 737-7773

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

Please contact the Vandenberg Village Association via the phone numbers included in the VVA Newsletter.

Please contact Health Sanitation at 1-800-727-5923.

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 is billed in advance for the next full billing 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. 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 or on our website at http://www.vvcsd.org/water-quality. 

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. To find the current water hardness, please review the most recent Consumer Confidence Report at http://www.vvcsd.org/water-quality.

Effective July 1, 2020, new residential or non-residential self-regenerating water softeners may not be installed. Existing residential or non-residential self-regenerating water softeners are not required to be removed unless the unit violates the efficiency requirements of Health & Safety Code § 116785. However, they may not be replaced or enlarged. These softeners discharge a strong brine into the wastewater system. While some of this salt is removed by treatment at the wastewater treatment plant in Lompoc, the rest percolates into the groundwater supply.

For those who prefer softened water, we recommend exchange canisters from a commercial vending service so that the brine is discharged elsewhere. 

Occasionally, tap water will appear dirty. This can be an isolated incident due to rusty pipes in the home or it can happen to a multiple neighborhoods due to water system maintenance. This discoloration is iron sediment and is not harmful. However, it will stain your clothing so it is recommended that you do not do laundry while your water is discolored.

VVCSD periodically flushes the water mains to remove this discoloration but, during the process, it seems worse before it gets better. The flushing process is designed to remove any iron sediment in the water main and may temporarily discolor your water.

If discoloration occurs, run your cold water faucets for about five minutes to make sure the water is clear. If it does not clear up after a few minutes, wait for an extended period of time (about two hours) and try running the cold faucets again for five minutes. If the water still has not cleared up by the next day, please notify VVCSD by calling 733-2475.

Vandenberg Village water is high in mineral content so you may notice dishes out of the dishwasher are cloudy or spotted.
 

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.
 

To check for a possible leak:

1. Make sure all water is off inside and outside the home.
2. Check the meter to see if the dial is moving. If it is not moving, you do not have a leak, or it is so small that it is undetectable. If the dial is moving, you may have a leak.

To determine the location of the leak:

1. Turn off the water at the house valve (the house valve should be near the front of the house next to your outside water spigot).
2. Check the meter to see if the dial is moving. If the dial has stopped moving, the leak is inside the house or in the back yard. If the dial is still moving, the leak is in the front yard.

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 1-800-422-4133 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
3745 Constellation Road
Lompoc, CA 93436
(805) 733-2475

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