El Cerrito’s Utility User Tax (UUT) is a voter-approved tax on utilities, including electricity, water, and telephone, paid by customers (users). The UUT helps pay for essential City services such as police, fire, recreation and public works.

While the UUT has always included water service, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has not collected the tax since its original approval. Recently the City and EBMUD reached an agreement for EBMUD to collect the UUT on water for El Cerrito’s residents as of July 1, 2008. These additional revenues will help sustain City services in this tough economy.

EBMUD’s current billing system cannot accommodate the UUT on your regular water bill. Because of this, EBMUD will collect the UUT on a separate semi-annual bill. The second of the three supplemental bills regarding collection of UUT on water will be mailed to El Cerrito residence in late August pertaining to the period January 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009.

The second bills were mailed in the week of August 28th and are for the period January 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009. If payment was made on the first bill for the July-December 2008 period sent in June it is shown as a reduction of the amount owed on the lines that says "Payment Received/Adjustments".

A bill for the next six months will be sent in February 2010.

EBMUD will be updating its system over the next year, and should be able to collect the UUT on its regular bills beginning in 2010.

Because this bill is being sent out separately from the regular EBMUD service bill, you can preview a sample of what the bill looks like (PDF 165Kb). This is a legitimate bill that must be paid.

To read the Municipal Code section related to the UUT, go to http://ordlink.com/codes/elcerrito

If you have questions about the UUT bill from EBMUD, call the City of El Cerrito Finance Department at (510) 215-4367 or email mdodge@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us

FAQs

If I have moved during the January 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009 billing period will I receive another bill and am I being billed for time I was not living there?
These bills are being calculated and sent by EBMUD on our behalf using EBMUD's water billing database. If you moved during the billing period you will be charged only for the time you lived at that address and no further bills will be sent to you.

The account holder is deceased. Does the estate still need to pay the bill?
The tax is due for the time the water account was open.

Do businesses need to pay this bill?
This UUT applies to all water accounts in El Cerrito, business and residential.

Can I pay everything in one lump sum and not receive future billings?
Since the tax is calculated on water usage, the amount due is not known at this time. Subsequent bills will be issued by EBMUD on our behalf utilizing the EBMUD’s database.