Frequently Asked Questions
I have a water emergency - What do I do?
A website cannot possibly cover all the water related emergencies that can occur. So let's start with some basics regarding non-life threatening emergencies.
If it is safe - turn the water off as quickly as possible. Your double check valve by your meter is the quickest way to turn the water off to your entire property - please learn where it is and how to turn it off before you are faced with an emergency.
Try to direct the water to the area that will have the least negative impact.
Call Jerry at (541) 640-2558 or Jamie at (541) 408-1804
How do I pay my bill?
We are not set up to take payments over the phone. Please mail your payment along with the tear off portion of the bill to 18075 Second Avenue Bend, OR 97703.
Most customers set up payment through their bank to make the monthly payment online. Please add your Sun Mountain 4 digit account number when you set up bill pay through your bank.
Is it possible my meter was misread?
Yes, if you think your meter reading does not reflect your actual use please call and we will reread the meter.
Mistakes do happen -we read around 300 meters over the course of two days - a typical meter has 4 to 6 digits that are called out then written down, then entered manually into the computer. We are only human!
When are the water meters read?
We try to read the meters around the 25th before the end of each month.
I call the office and get a message - is there anyone there?
Usually no. The phone for the office is checked daily am & pm for messages and calls are returned as a rule within 24 hours.
We are out in the field most of the day and most calls to the office require us to be in front of the computer to access customer information. That is why we have a separate direct emergency phone.
Why is my meter reading estimated and not read?
In the winter months there are times when the snow or winter conditions will not allow us to easily access the meters buried in the ground. On your billing statement we note this and bill only the base rate for the month.
These are the times that we estimate the water use for the customer for the month and charge only the base rate, balancing out the billing when the meters can actually be read. Expect to see a higher bill the month (typically in March) we are able to access meters again and are balancing out for previous months. Please call with any questions.