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1. How do I pay my water bill?

Water bills are mailed out on a two-month cycle. There are three ways to pay your bill: by mail, in person, or automatic billing.

Bills can be paid in person at the Cashiers Counter located in the first floor of the Monterey Park City Hall at 320 W. Newmark Ave. View the location map online. The city has recently established a new automated billing system where your water bill can be automatically paid from your checking account. See more information on automated billing. To mail a payment, send it to Water / Refuse Billing at 320 West Newmark Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754. For additional information about your water bill you may call 626-307-1342.

2. How do I report problems such as dirty water or a water leak in the street?

Between 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 pm. please call 626-307-1320. After hours please contact the Monterey Park Police Department at 626-573-1311.  You will be able to speak to someone 24 hours a day.

3. What is our source of water?

The City of Monterey Park Water System receives its water supply from one source - local groundwater. The water is produced by 12 City-owned wells with a total capacity of 20 million gallons per day (mgd). The wells reach a depth of up to 1,800 feet and are located in the vicinity of the Rio Hondo, which is outside the city limits and in the Main San Gabriel groundwater basin. Water from our deep wells is of excellent quality and requires little or no treatment. The Monterey Park Water System supplies an average of 10 mgd to its customers.


On average, about 65% of the water used each year is supplied from local rainfall; the other 35% is imported from northern California and then percolated into the groundwater aquifers. The water is imported for us by the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, a public agency, and of which the City of Monterey Park is a member.

4. How much water does the Monterey Park community use?

Usage ranges from an average low of 7.3 million gallons per day (mgd) in February to an average high of 12 mgd in August. Average use per person is 100-110 gallons per day.

5. What is ground water?

Contrary to what a lot of people think, groundwater is not found in underground rivers or lakes. Rather, it is water that fills the cracks and pore spaces in rocks and sediments that lie beneath the surface of the earth, much the way water fills the open spaces and saturates a sponge or towel.

6. Why is keeping our groundwater clean so important?

The San Gabriel Valley is unique in that it is one of the few natural underground reservoirs in the United States. Rain and snowmelt comes down from the San Gabriel Mountains through a series of dams and are then diverted to "spreading basins". Spreading basins are designated areas of land that are very permeable, such as sand and gravel areas. Water can then percolate into the ground. 100% of the water served to residents and businesses in Monterey Park comes from groundwater. Thus, keeping our groundwater resource clean is vitally important to all of us.

7. Where do groundwater toxins come from?

Many products we use around our homes everyday are considered toxic, such as household cleaners, flea powders, garden pesticides, paints, varnishes, motor oil, and antifreeze. These products are not only hazardous to our health, but to our environment. By disposing these harmful products improperly, we are contributing to the groundwater contamination in the San Gabriel Valley.

8. Can contaminated groundwater be cleaned up?

Yes, but it can be time-consuming and expensive. Communities whose drinking water source has become contaminated have had to spend millions of dollars to remove contaminants from the water before it can be piped to homes and businesses. The cleanup is effective, but it can significantly affect the cost of providing the water to customers. It is far better to prevent contamination in the first place. What are the dos and do nots for groundwater?

Do:

• Purchase only what you need


• Use products completely before disposing


• Recycle whatever you can (oil, batteries, etc.)


• Recycle surplus paints

Do not:

• Dump products onto the ground (they can contaminate soil and groundwater)


• Pour products or wastes into the street (they can contaminate oceans, lakes, and groundwater)


• Put hazardous or toxic products in the trash


• Pour products down the drain

View proper disposal of Household Hazardous Wastes online.

9. Is our water fluoridated?

At this time fluoride is not added to the water. There are low levels of fluoride naturally occurring in the water. The range at which they occur is between 0.2 to 0.8 milligrams per liter (mg/L). The optimum fluoride level recommended to reduce dental caries (cavities) is a consistent .8 mg/L does. A bill signed by Governor Wilson in 1997 mandates drinking water fluoridation for larger water utilities, including Monterey Park, and requires the state to provide funding for the installation and operation of fluoridation equipment. The state is currently seeking funding for this program.

10. Does the City of Monterey Park own the Garvey Reservoir?

The Garvey Reservoir is not owned by the City of Monterey Park and the water it contains is not stored for city use.