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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPipeline 02 - Spring and Summer 2010T H E O TAY WAT E R D I S T R I C T • P R O U D LY S E R V I N G E A S T C O U N T Y A N D T H E S O U T H B AY S I N C E 1 9 5 6 A NE W SLET TER FOR CUSTOMERS OF THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL 619.670.2222 OR GO TO WWW.OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quarterly by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at www.otaywater.gov. If you have questions about the newsletter, please contact us at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Spring Valley, CA 91978-2096. Copyright © 2009 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. LEVEL 4 - SUPPLYEMERGENCY LEVEL 2 - SUPPLY ALERT LEVEL 1 - SUPPLYWATCH LEVEL 3 - SUPPLYCRITICAL Voluntary measures to stop waste. Repair leaks promptly. Wash cars with a bucket and shut-off nozzle. Mandatory water use restrictions. No new construction, annexations or development. Strict limits on water used for irrigation and non-public health purposes. Stop all landscape irrigation. No new construction, annexations or development. Otay Water District SUPPLY STATUS The Otay Water District continues a Level 1 Drought Watch for its service area. The Otay Water District thanks its customers for conserving water and their support of recycled water. Because of your strong efforts to conserve water and investments in recycled water infrastructure, Otay customers are avoiding strict mandatory conservation measures. Thank you for your support. SEQUIA – NIVEL 4ESTADO DE EMERGENCIA SEQUIA – NIVEL 2ESTADO DE ALERTA SEQUIA – NIVEL 1ESTADO DE VIGILANCIA SEQUIA – NIVEL 3ESTADO CRITICO Medidas voluntarias para detener los residuos. Reparar las fugas rapidamente. Lavar su auto con una cubeta y una manguera con boquilla de cierre automático. Restricciones obligatorios del uso del agua. Ninguna construccion de anexos o desarrollos nuevos. Limites estrictos de la cantidad de agua utilizada para el riego y otros usos que no incluyen proyectos de salud pública. Alto al riego de jardines Ninguna construccion de anexos o desarrollos nuevos. Distrito de agua de OtayEstado del Suministro de Agua El Distrito de Agua Otay continúa en Estado de Vigilancia de Sequia-Nivel 1 para su área de servicio. El Distrito de Agua Otay agradece a sus clientes por conservar agua y por su apoyo del uso de agua reciclada. Debido a sus esfuerzos por conservar agua e inversiones en la infraestructura de agua reciclada, los clientes de Otay están evitando medidas estrictas y ob-ligatorias para la conservación del agua. Gracias por su apoyo. spring/summer 2010 Enhanced Web Options The Otay Water District will soon offer upgraded service options for customers who pay their bill online. New features include: • E-bills: Customers can opt to have their monthly water bill e-mailed to them in place of receiving a paper statement in the mail. Summary statements and PDF versions of the current bill will also be available. • Payment Scheduler: Use Otay Water District’s online payment scheduler to set up recurring payments with a credit card or checking account, eliminating the possibility of late payments. • Web Payments: Web payments can be made online 24/7 at no charge. Visit our website at www.otaywater.gov and click on Pay Your Bill Online. We accept VISA and MasterCard debit and credit cards. • Bill Archives: Easily access and view prior bills online. Customers using the current online payment system will need to recreate a username and password when the new service becomes available. Please visit www.otaywater.gov for more details. In-Store Payment Customers can pay their bill at CheckFreePay locations including Wal-Mart and Postal Annex stores throughout the county. CheckFreePay is a service that processes walk-in bill payment transactions. Payments can be made using cash or a pin-based debit card. The service delivers funds electronically and customers will be provided with a receipt as proof of payment. Customers have the option for 3 Day or Next Day payment delivery. Fees for this service range in cost from $0.88 to $2.50. For more information and to find a location in your area, please visit www.checkfreepay.com or contact an Otay Customer Service Representative at 619-670-2777. New Bill Payment Options Nuevas Opciones de Pago Opciones de Internet Mejorados Próximamente, el Distrito de Agua de Otay ofrecerá mejores opciones de servicio para los clientes que pagan su cuenta por internet. Estas opciones incluyen: • Facturas electrónicas: Clientes pueden optar por tener su factura mensual enviada a ellos a través de su correo electrónico en lugar de recibir su factura por correo. El resumen de su cuenta y versiones PDF de su factura también estarán disponibles. • Programador de Pago: Utilice el programador de pago por internet del Distrito de Agua de Otay para establecer pagos recurrentes con una tarjeta de crédito o cuenta bancaria, eliminando la posibilidad de retrasos en su pago. • Pago por Internet: El pago de su cuenta se puede realizar por internet las 24 horas del día, 7 a la semana sin costo alguno. Visite nuestro sitio de internet, www. otaywater.gov y haga clic en Pague su Cuenta En Línea. Aceptamos tarjetas de débito y crédito de VISA y MasterCard. • Archivo de Facturas: Tendrá acceso por internet para obtener copias de facturas anteriores. Los clientes que actualmente utilizan el sistema de pago por internet, tendrán que volver a crear un nombre de usuario y contraseña cuando este servicio esté disponible. Por favor, visite www.otaywater.gov para más detalles. Pago en Persona Clientes pueden pagar su cuenta en centros de pago CheckFreePay como Wal-Mart y tiendas de servicio postal a través del condado. CheckFreePay es un servicio que procesa transacciones hechas en persona. Los pagos pueden hacerse en efectivo o con tarjeta de débito con número de pin. El servicio entrega los fondos por vía electrónica y a los clientes se les proporcionará un recibo como comprobante de pago. Los clientes pueden optar por que la entrega de pago se realice en 3 días o al siguiente día. Las tarifas por este servicio empiezan desde $ 0.88 a $ 2.50. Para obtener más información y para localizar un centro de pago en su área, por favor visite www.checkfreepay.com o llame al 619-670-2777 para hablar con un representante de servicio al cliente del Distrito de Agua de Otay Nuevo! Tours en Español El Water Conservation Garden ahora ofrece tours gratuitos del jardín en español, con reservación previa. Favor de comunicarse con Elizabeth Ramos al 619-985-8337. Se aceptan donaciones. Nan Sterman’sPlant Soup Inc. Otay Water District – Board of Directors The Board of Directors meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 pm in the Board meeting room. The public is encouraged to attend at 2554 Sweetwater Spring Bvd., Spring Valley, CA. PresidentJaime Bonilla, Division 2jbonilla@otaywater.gov Vice-PresidentJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov TreasurerGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@otaywater.gov BoardmemberLarry Breitfelder, Division 1lbreitfelder@otaywater.gov BoardmemberMark Robak, Division 5OtayWater@cox.net Copyright © Nan Sterman 2010. All rights reserved.At theGarden Saturday, June 19, 10:00 am – noon Water Smart Edibles in Your Garden Yes, you CAN grow fruit while conserv- ing water. Join horticulturalist David Yetz to explore the fruit and other edibles that can be grown in a water conserving landscape. $20 Members, $30.00 Non-Members. Saturday, June 26, 10:00 am - noon Toss the Turf; Less Grass, Less Water, More Fun! Get tips for removing turf, evaluating soil, tuning-up your irrigation system and creative ideas for water smart land-scaping. $20 Members, $30 Non-Members. Special stimulus pricing! Two registrations for the price of one. Same household only please. Saturday, July 10, 9:00 am-noon Irrigation 101- The Basics of Irrigation horticulturist, Kathy eagle, will cover the basics of irrigation; retrofitting, drip irrigation applications and installation. Learn how to set your irrigation clock and when and how long to irrigate your landscape. this class is designed for homeowners with little to no irrigation knowledge or experience! $15 Members, $25 Non-Members. Call 619-660-0614 x10 for reservations. Third Sunday of the month, 9:30-10:30 am Special Access Tour FrEE. this special tour is offered monthly for individuals who may have difficulty navigating the terrain of the Garden. tour seats four to five individuals. Advance reservation required. No excep- tions please. Please call 619-660-6841. For more class information and prices visit www.thegarden.orgWaterSmart PiPeline Otay Water District receives National recognition for Government Budgeting District Honored with prestigious gFOA Award for sixth Consecutive Year The Otay Water District has again received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada, a nonprofit professional association serving 17,600 government finance professionals throughout North America. The exclusive award is the only national honor in governmental budgeting and serves as the highest form of recognition in the industry. Receiving the award for six consecutive years represents a significant accomplishment by the District, its financial staff and management. In order to receive the exclusive award, government entities must meet rigorous guidelines for effective budget presentation. Professionals from across the country review the financial documents and each winning budget is required to have “proficient” ratings in all categories in order to receive the award. The District’s award-winning 2009 budget and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report are available for viewing and download at www.otaywater.gov under the Publications link. CONSTrUCTION ON JAMACHA rOAD PIPELINE PrOJECT rEACHES HALFWAY POINT Vital pipeline set to improve Water reliability in Times of emergency The Jamacha Road Pipeline Project, which includes a 5.1 mile water pipeline that will run from Rancho San Diego to El Cajon, is now more than 50 percent complete after beginning in the summer of 2009. Upon completion, an additional 12 million gallons of water per day will be available during peak periods and 16 million gallons per day will also be available during off-peak periods. The project will substantially improve water reliability during emergencies such as wildfires and earthquakes. The project is part of the East County Regional Treated Water Improvement Program and combines installation of the 36-inch diameter steel pipeline with the replace- ment of older pre-existing steel and PVC pipelines. Crews from CCL Construction are currently working in several locations including Jamacha Road and El Cajon. Project completion and final paving are anticipated in late August, 2010. For more information about the Jamacha Road Pipeline Project visit www.jamachapipeline.com. Plants for Slopes San Diego’s homes and subdivisions are cut into hillsides and out of hillsides, thanks to our wacky topography and local developers’ drive to build on every possible inch of useable space. It leaves us to deal with some pretty challenging slopes, many of which baffle homeowners when it comes to deciding what to plant. Most people automatically think “groundcover” when it comes to slopes. That makes me chuckle. When was the last time you looked at a majestic mountain and saw it planted in “groundcover?” Nature doesn’t do that. And neither should we. Slopes and hillsides are simply gardens set at an angle. True you have to be careful about how you irrigate, and not all plants are suited for slopes, but many, many plants are. One of the main concerns when planting a slope or hillside is to protect the exposed soil from eroding or washing away. The best plants, then, are those that make deep roots but require little irrigation. Trees and shrubs, especially native trees and shrubs are ideal: California lilac, toyon, oak trees, sugar bush, and so on. Plant them in combina-tions to create habitat that attracts birds and other wildlife. Shrubs and trees from the Mediterranean region work well, too. Some years back, I visited the picturesque Italian region of Cinque Terre. Five tiny towns sit in a sliver of land between the Mediterranean Sea and steep hillsides. A winding series of walking paths through the hillsides connect one town to the next. Along the way are cultivated gardens passed down from generation to generation. Each family grows their olives, grapes, artichokes, and vegetable crops in those very slanted gardens. Higher on the hillside are remnants of the Italian equivalent of our chaparral. Rockrose (Cistus), rosemary, and many other plants offered by our nurseries, grow wild there. All of those plants (with the exception of vegetables) are excellent choices for hillsides. A new category of plants recently introduced from New Zealand show promise as low water hillside stabilizers as well. Lomandra is a medium-height, grass-like plant with varieties in shades of chartreuse to grass green to almost blue-green. Their two to three foot tall clumps have narrow blades that bow gracefully in the breeze. Growers tell us that Lomandra roots make a dense mat that holds even sand in place and they take very little water once established. Look for Lomandra varieties ‘Breeze,’ ‘Little Con,’ and ‘Nyalla’ among others. Combine all of these plants as you would in any garden on level ground. Use tall plants for structure, shrubs for substance and low growing plants to fill the spaces in between. Can you grow succulents and other shallower rooted plants? Of course, but use them as accents rather than for structure and stability. Sprinkle in some California poppy seeds while you are at it, and you’ll get a lovely springtime display. As you make your plant choices, definitely avoid trees with shallow roots and brittle branches. Eucalyptus trees are a prime example. You’ve no doubt seen big eucalyptus branches fall on top of cars (and worse) and huge eucalyptus lying in the middle of boulevards after a good storm – some blown off hillsides and others off level ground. Avoid ice plant, especially Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis). This vast, spreading succulent is most often planted to form a massive, uniform carpet. The problem is, as Hottentot fig plants age, stems die out underneath, while more and more succulent leaves form on top. Eventually, the mass grows so heavy that it literally slides down the hill, taking much of the soil with it. In addition, Hottentot fig is one of our most problematic invasive plants. And speaking of massive, uniform carpets, avoid planting a single type of any plant on a slope or anywhere else. It is impossible to achieve such an even, uniform look. As individual plants die here and there, or dogs dig holes in the planting, or weeds blow in, your eye is drawn to the flaws, not the plants. It simply looks crummy. So don’t fall for that groundcover trap. Groundcovers - the lower-growing, spreading plants -- are fine planted beneath and around the trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials that make both beautiful gardens and stable hillsides. If you have questions about low-water plants or other low-water gardening issues, please contact Nan Sterman at the WaterSmart Pipeline. She answers the phone Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons at 866-962-7021. You can leave a message 24 hours a day or send an email to pipeline@thegarden.org. Messages and emails are returned during Pipeline hours. To see where Nan is speaking or teaching next, please visit www.PlantSoup.com and follow the link to her calendar. Nan Sterman’sPlant Soup Inc. Otay Water District – Board of Directors The Board of Directors meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 3:30 pm in the Board meeting room. The public is encouraged to attend at 2554 Sweetwater Spring Bvd., Spring Valley, CA. PresidentJaime Bonilla, Division 2jbonilla@otaywater.gov Vice-PresidentJose Lopez, Division 4jlopez@otaywater.gov TreasurerGary Croucher, Division 3gcroucher@otaywater.gov BoardmemberLarry Breitfelder, Division 1lbreitfelder@otaywater.gov BoardmemberMark Robak, Division 5OtayWater@cox.net Copyright © Nan Sterman 2010. All rights reserved.At theGarden Saturday, June 19, 10:00 am – noon Water Smart Edibles in Your Garden Yes, you CAN grow fruit while conserv- ing water. Join horticulturalist David Yetz to explore the fruit and other edibles that can be grown in a water conserving landscape. $20 Members, $30.00 Non-Members. Saturday, June 26, 10:00 am - noon Toss the Turf; Less Grass, Less Water, More Fun! Get tips for removing turf, evaluating soil, tuning-up your irrigation system and creative ideas for water smart land-scaping. $20 Members, $30 Non-Members. Special stimulus pricing! Two registrations for the price of one. Same household only please. Saturday, July 10, 9:00 am-noon Irrigation 101- The Basics of Irrigation horticulturist, Kathy eagle, will cover the basics of irrigation; retrofitting, drip irrigation applications and installation. Learn how to set your irrigation clock and when and how long to irrigate your landscape. this class is designed for homeowners with little to no irrigation knowledge or experience! $15 Members, $25 Non-Members. Call 619-660-0614 x10 for reservations. Third Sunday of the month, 9:30-10:30 am Special Access Tour FrEE. this special tour is offered monthly for individuals who may have difficulty navigating the terrain of the Garden. tour seats four to five individuals. Advance reservation required. No excep- tions please. Please call 619-660-6841. For more class information and prices visit www.thegarden.orgWaterSmart PiPeline Otay Water District receives National recognition for Government Budgeting District Honored with prestigious gFOA Award for sixth Consecutive Year The Otay Water District has again received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada, a nonprofit professional association serving 17,600 government finance professionals throughout North America. The exclusive award is the only national honor in governmental budgeting and serves as the highest form of recognition in the industry. Receiving the award for six consecutive years represents a significant accomplishment by the District, its financial staff and management. In order to receive the exclusive award, government entities must meet rigorous guidelines for effective budget presentation. Professionals from across the country review the financial documents and each winning budget is required to have “proficient” ratings in all categories in order to receive the award. The District’s award-winning 2009 budget and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report are available for viewing and download at www.otaywater.gov under the Publications link. CONSTrUCTION ON JAMACHA rOAD PIPELINE PrOJECT rEACHES HALFWAY POINT Vital pipeline set to improve Water reliability in Times of emergency The Jamacha Road Pipeline Project, which includes a 5.1 mile water pipeline that will run from Rancho San Diego to El Cajon, is now more than 50 percent complete after beginning in the summer of 2009. Upon completion, an additional 12 million gallons of water per day will be available during peak periods and 16 million gallons per day will also be available during off-peak periods. The project will substantially improve water reliability during emergencies such as wildfires and earthquakes. The project is part of the East County Regional Treated Water Improvement Program and combines installation of the 36-inch diameter steel pipeline with the replace- ment of older pre-existing steel and PVC pipelines. Crews from CCL Construction are currently working in several locations including Jamacha Road and El Cajon. Project completion and final paving are anticipated in late August, 2010. For more information about the Jamacha Road Pipeline Project visit www.jamachapipeline.com. Plants for Slopes San Diego’s homes and subdivisions are cut into hillsides and out of hillsides, thanks to our wacky topography and local developers’ drive to build on every possible inch of useable space. It leaves us to deal with some pretty challenging slopes, many of which baffle homeowners when it comes to deciding what to plant. Most people automatically think “groundcover” when it comes to slopes. That makes me chuckle. When was the last time you looked at a majestic mountain and saw it planted in “groundcover?” Nature doesn’t do that. And neither should we. Slopes and hillsides are simply gardens set at an angle. True you have to be careful about how you irrigate, and not all plants are suited for slopes, but many, many plants are. One of the main concerns when planting a slope or hillside is to protect the exposed soil from eroding or washing away. The best plants, then, are those that make deep roots but require little irrigation. Trees and shrubs, especially native trees and shrubs are ideal: California lilac, toyon, oak trees, sugar bush, and so on. Plant them in combina-tions to create habitat that attracts birds and other wildlife. Shrubs and trees from the Mediterranean region work well, too. Some years back, I visited the picturesque Italian region of Cinque Terre. Five tiny towns sit in a sliver of land between the Mediterranean Sea and steep hillsides. A winding series of walking paths through the hillsides connect one town to the next. Along the way are cultivated gardens passed down from generation to generation. Each family grows their olives, grapes, artichokes, and vegetable crops in those very slanted gardens. Higher on the hillside are remnants of the Italian equivalent of our chaparral. Rockrose (Cistus), rosemary, and many other plants offered by our nurseries, grow wild there. All of those plants (with the exception of vegetables) are excellent choices for hillsides. A new category of plants recently introduced from New Zealand show promise as low water hillside stabilizers as well. Lomandra is a medium-height, grass-like plant with varieties in shades of chartreuse to grass green to almost blue-green. Their two to three foot tall clumps have narrow blades that bow gracefully in the breeze. Growers tell us that Lomandra roots make a dense mat that holds even sand in place and they take very little water once established. Look for Lomandra varieties ‘Breeze,’ ‘Little Con,’ and ‘Nyalla’ among others. Combine all of these plants as you would in any garden on level ground. Use tall plants for structure, shrubs for substance and low growing plants to fill the spaces in between. Can you grow succulents and other shallower rooted plants? Of course, but use them as accents rather than for structure and stability. Sprinkle in some California poppy seeds while you are at it, and you’ll get a lovely springtime display. As you make your plant choices, definitely avoid trees with shallow roots and brittle branches. Eucalyptus trees are a prime example. You’ve no doubt seen big eucalyptus branches fall on top of cars (and worse) and huge eucalyptus lying in the middle of boulevards after a good storm – some blown off hillsides and others off level ground. Avoid ice plant, especially Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis). This vast, spreading succulent is most often planted to form a massive, uniform carpet. The problem is, as Hottentot fig plants age, stems die out underneath, while more and more succulent leaves form on top. Eventually, the mass grows so heavy that it literally slides down the hill, taking much of the soil with it. In addition, Hottentot fig is one of our most problematic invasive plants. And speaking of massive, uniform carpets, avoid planting a single type of any plant on a slope or anywhere else. It is impossible to achieve such an even, uniform look. As individual plants die here and there, or dogs dig holes in the planting, or weeds blow in, your eye is drawn to the flaws, not the plants. It simply looks crummy. So don’t fall for that groundcover trap. Groundcovers - the lower-growing, spreading plants -- are fine planted beneath and around the trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials that make both beautiful gardens and stable hillsides. If you have questions about low-water plants or other low-water gardening issues, please contact Nan Sterman at the WaterSmart Pipeline. She answers the phone Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons at 866-962-7021. You can leave a message 24 hours a day or send an email to pipeline@thegarden.org. Messages and emails are returned during Pipeline hours. To see where Nan is speaking or teaching next, please visit www.PlantSoup.com and follow the link to her calendar. T H E O TAY WAT E R D I S T R I C T • P R O U D LY S E R V I N G E A S T C O U N T Y A N D T H E S O U T H B AY S I N C E 1 9 5 6 A NE W SLET TER FOR CUSTOMERS OF THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT CALL 619.670.2222 OR GO TO WWW.OTAYWATER.GOV The Pipeline Newsletter is published quarterly by the Otay Water District and can also be found online at www.otaywater.gov. If you have questions about the newsletter, please contact us at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Spring Valley, CA 91978-2096. Copyright © 2009 Otay Water District. All rights reserved. LEVEL 4 - SUPPLY EMERGENCY LEVEL 2 - SUPPLYALERT LEVEL 1 - SUPPLYWATCH LEVEL 3 - SUPPLYCRITICAL Voluntary measures to stop waste. Repair leaks promptly. Wash cars with a bucket and shut-off nozzle. Mandatory water use restrictions. No new construction, annexations or development. Strict limits on water used for irrigation and non-public health purposes. Stop all landscape irrigation. No new construction, annexations or development. Otay Water District SUPPLY STATUS The Otay Water District continues a Level 1 Drought Watch for its service area. The Otay Water District thanks its customers for conserving water and their support of recycled water. Because of your strong efforts to conserve water and investments in recycled water infrastructure, Otay customers are avoiding strict mandatory conservation measures. Thank you for your support. SEQUIA – NIVEL 4ESTADO DE EMERGENCIA SEQUIA – NIVEL 2ESTADO DE ALERTA SEQUIA – NIVEL 1ESTADO DE VIGILANCIA SEQUIA – NIVEL 3ESTADO CRITICO Medidas voluntarias para detener los residuos. Reparar las fugas rapidamente. Lavar su auto con una cubeta y una manguera con boquilla de cierre automático. Restricciones obligatorios del uso del agua. Ninguna construccion de anexos o desarrollos nuevos. Limites estrictos de la cantidad de agua utilizada para el riego y otros usos que no incluyen proyectos de salud pública. Alto al riego de jardines Ninguna construccion de anexos o desarrollos nuevos. Distrito de agua de OtayEstado del Suministro de Agua El Distrito de Agua Otay continúa en Estado de Vigilancia de Sequia-Nivel 1 para su área de servicio. El Distrito de Agua Otay agradece a sus clientes por conservar agua y por su apoyo del uso de agua reciclada. Debido a sus esfuerzos por conservar agua e inversiones en la infraestructura de agua reciclada, los clientes de Otay están evitando medidas estrictas y ob-ligatorias para la conservación del agua. Gracias por su apoyo. spring/s ummer 2010 Enhanced Web Options The Otay Water District will soon offer upgraded service options for customers who pay their bill online. New features include: • E-bills: Customers can opt to have their monthly water bill e-mailed to them in place of receiving a paper statement in the mail. Summary statements and PDF versions of the current bill will also be available. • Payment Scheduler: Use Otay Water District’s online payment scheduler to set up recurring payments with a credit card or checking account, eliminating the possibility of late payments. • Web Payments: Web payments can be made online 24/7 at no charge. Visit our website at www.otaywater.gov and click on Pay Your Bill Online. We accept VISA and MasterCard debit and credit cards. • Bill Archives: Easily access and view prior bills online. Customers using the current online payment system will need to recreate a username and password when the new service becomes available. Please visit www.otaywater.gov for more details. In-Store Payment Customers can pay their bill at CheckFreePay locations including Wal-Mart and Postal Annex stores throughout the county. CheckFreePay is a service that processes walk-in bill payment transactions. Payments can be made using cash or a pin-based debit card. The service delivers funds electronically and customers will be provided with a receipt as proof of payment. Customers have the option for 3 Day or Next Day payment delivery. Fees for this service range in cost from $0.88 to $2.50. For more information and to find a location in your area, please visit www.checkfreepay.com or contact an Otay Customer Service Representative at 619-670-2777. New Bill Payment Options Nuevas Opciones de Pago Opciones de Internet Mejorados Próximamente, el Distrito de Agua de Otay ofrecerá mejores opciones de servicio para los clientes que pagan su cuenta por internet. Estas opciones incluyen: • Facturas electrónicas: Clientes pueden optar por tener su factura mensual enviada a ellos a través de su correo electrónico en lugar de recibir su factura por correo. El resumen de su cuenta y versiones PDF de su factura también estarán disponibles. • Programador de Pago: Utilice el programador de pago por internet del Distrito de Agua de Otay para establecer pagos recurrentes con una tarjeta de crédito o cuenta bancaria, eliminando la posibilidad de retrasos en su pago. • Pago por Internet: El pago de su cuenta se puede realizar por internet las 24 horas del día, 7 a la semana sin costo alguno. Visite nuestro sitio de internet, www. otaywater.gov y haga clic en Pague su Cuenta En Línea. Aceptamos tarjetas de débito y crédito de VISA y MasterCard. • Archivo de Facturas: Tendrá acceso por internet para obtener copias de facturas anteriores. Los clientes que actualmente utilizan el sistema de pago por internet, tendrán que volver a crear un nombre de usuario y contraseña cuando este servicio esté disponible. Por favor, visite www.otaywater.gov para más detalles. Pago en Persona Clientes pueden pagar su cuenta en centros de pago CheckFreePay como Wal-Mart y tiendas de servicio postal a través del condado. CheckFreePay es un servicio que procesa transacciones hechas en persona. Los pagos pueden hacerse en efectivo o con tarjeta de débito con número de pin. El servicio entrega los fondos por vía electrónica y a los clientes se les proporcionará un recibo como comprobante de pago. Los clientes pueden optar por que la entrega de pago se realice en 3 días o al siguiente día. Las tarifas por este servicio empiezan desde $ 0.88 a $ 2.50. Para obtener más información y para localizar un centro de pago en su área, por favor visite www.checkfreepay.com o llame al 619-670-2777 para hablar con un representante de servicio al cliente del Distrito de Agua de Otay Nuevo! Tours en Español El Water Conservation Garden ahora ofrece tours gratuitos del jardín en español, con reservación previa. Favor de comunicarse con Elizabeth Ramos al 619-985-8337. Se aceptan donaciones.