CUSTOMER INFORMATION

 

The Utility Office is located at Santa Claus Town Hall, 90 N. Holiday Blvd., Santa Claus, IN.  Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (local time) Monday through Friday. 

 

UTILITY BILLS:  The Town of Santa Claus meters are read at the end of the month, with the bills being mailed approximately the 8th or 9th of the following month.  If you have not received your billing by the 15th of the month, please call our office at 812-937-2551 to find out the balance on your account.  You will have 17 days from the date of billing to pay the current net amount.  If full payment is not made by the due date a penalty is applied.  If any charges remain unpaid and delinquent for thirty (30) days after being due, the water service shall be discontinued and not turned on again until such delinquent rates and charges, disconnection charge and deposit, if one is not carried on the account,  shall be paid.   

 

PAYMENTS:  To accommodate our customers, we have several ways in which to pay your utility bills:

  1. Mail your payment along with the payment stub to Town of Santa Claus, PO Box 92, Santa Claus, IN 47579.  No credit or debit cards accepted.
  2. Drop your payment in our night deposit box located at the right of the front door of Town Hall, 90 N. Holiday Blvd, Santa Claus.
  3. Payment may be made by signing up for Auto-Pay.  Applications are available at Town Hall, 90 N. Holiday Blvd, Santa Claus.
  4. Pay in person at the Utility Office located at Town Hall, 90 N. Holiday Blvd., Santa Claus.

 

DEPOSITS:  New customers opening an account are required by ordinance to pay a deposit of $200.00 prior to receiving service from the Town.  As a customer, if you are only on our water or sewer you will only be required to pay $100.00.  If you are a residential customer your deposit will be returned after a 12 month period of on time payment or after you have paid you final bill.  Also as a residential customer, your deposit will be waived in lieu of submitting a letter of good credit from your previous water or sewer utility that you had service with for a year.  If you are a renter or a customer other than a residential customer you will be required to pay a deposit which will be returned after your final bill is paid in full.  If service has been discontinued for nonpayment and a deposit has not been collected previously, a deposit must be  paid before service will be reinstated to the property. 

 

APPLICATION FOR UTILITIES:  New customers are required to fill out an Application for Utilities before service can be provided.  You will be required to either provide your social security number or driver's license number, which will be protected as required by state and federal statutes.  New customers will also be required to show a picture ID.  Since we have policies in place to help prevent identity theft it is important that a new utility applicant apply in person at Town Hall, 90 N. Holiday Blvd., Santa Claus.   

 

WATER METERS:  Our meters register in thousand gallon increments.  Your billing will show usage in units.  Each unit is 1,000 gallons.  Minimum bills are based on your meter size which generally for residential is a 5/8 inch meter.  The minimum charge is based on 2 units or 2,000 gallons for a 5/8 inch meter.  The larger the meter the higher the charge will be. 

 

USAGE CHARGE (based on 5/8 inch meter):

Water                                                  

                                              Santa Claus Customers                   

                                                      Per 1,000 gallons                           

First 5,000 gallons                                $5.80                                                             

Next 15,000 gallons                              $5.28                                                             

Next 25,000 gallons                              $4.74

Next 45,000 gallons                              $3.69

(add 6% sales tax to total)

 

Sewer (based on water usage)

                                                  Santa Claus Customers 

                                                      Per 1,000 gallons

First 5,000 gallons                                $10.40

Next 15,000 gallons                              $10.07

Next 25,000 gallons                              $9.45

Next 45,000 gallons                              $8.54

(sales tax does not apply)

 

Water

                                                Previous Santa La Hill Customers

                                                             Per 1,000 gallons

First 5,000 gallons                                      $7.40

Next 5,000 gallons                                      $7.17

Next 10,000 gallons                                    $7.02

Next 15,000 gallons                                    $6.29

Next 115,000 gallons                                  $5.56

Over 150,000 gallons                                 $4.32

 

SERVICE FEES:  There are times where you may be billed service charges.  These include:

 

                         Disconnected for 1 to 3 months                                        $34.80

                         Disconnected for 4 months                                                $46.40

                         Disconnected for 5 months                                                $58.00

                         Disconnected for 6 or more months                                  $69.60

 

                        Previous Santa La Hill Customers 

                         Disconnected for 1 to 3 months                                        $44.40

                         Disconnected for 4 months                                                $59.20

                         Disconnected for 5 months                                                $74.00

                         Disconnected for 6 or more months                                  $88.80

 

 

SUMMER SEWAGE CREDIT:  per Ordinance 2008-06, adopted by the Santa Claus Town Council on October 13, 2008: "For residential customers whose sewer usage is determined by the metered water usage of such customers, for the use of and service rendered by the sewage works for each of the months of June, July and August there shall be charged the lesser of: 1. An average of such customer's metered usage for the nine (9) month period consisting of the months of January, February, Marsh, April, May, September, October, November and December first preceding the month for which such usage is being determined, plus an additional one thousand (1,000) gallons; or 2. The customer's actual usage otherwise determined under this Chapter."

 

LEAK DETECTOR:  Our meters have a low flow leak detector (the black or red triangle visible under the meters lens cover).  The triangle rotates whenever water is passing through the meter, even during extremely low flows.  To use the leak detector; turn off all your water outlets, including such automatic devices as icemakers in the refrigerator, then watch the triangle for one minute.  If it does not move, it means your plumbing system is not leaking. 

 

YARD METERS:  An additional meter may be installed on a separate service line for yard watering purposes.  The plumbing configuration must be in compliance with the department’s policy.  There will be a minimum $525.00 tap in fee for additional meter(s).  This meter would be charged for water usage only.  There is a monthly minimum charge based on meter size. 

 

HIGH BILLS:  Almost all homes develop plumbing leaks over time.  These leaks can add up to a significant amount of wasted water.  Toilet tanks are often the larges source of water loss in your home.  They are notorious for their hidden, silent loss of water.  Just a small invisible toilet leak of only two tablespoons per minute, come to 15 gallons per day, 105 gallons per week, and 5460 gallons per year.  A good way to check for a toilet leak is to add a couple drops of food coloring to the inside of the tank section.  Wait approximately 5 minutes and check the bowl of the toilet.  If the color has been drawn into the bowl then you most likely have a leak.  Toilet tank leaks typically result from worn parts, that may need replacing or from misalignment of some part of the flushing mechanism.  If you have tested your toilets and they are working properly, the next thing to look for is a leaky faucet or hose bib.      

 

SERVICE LINE RESPONSIBILITY:  Each customer has a separate service line.  Santa Claus Utilities is responsible for maintenance of this line from the water main to the curb stop.  The customer is responsible from the curb stop or meter to the house.  If your service line develops a leak between the water main and the curb stop, we will repair it at no cost to you.  However, if the leak is between the curb stop or meter and your home, you must pay for all repairs. 

 

TOWN METERS:  Plumbers, contractors and property owners are not allowed to shut water off or turn water on at the Town’s meters.  If you need this service please contact the Town Hall for scheduling.

     

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Russ Luthy, Utilities Superintendent, 812-544-3329, fax: 812-544-3491

Utility Office (Town Hall), 812-937-2551, fax: 812-937-2630

Billing Questions, 812-937-2551

Water Department, 812-544-2354

Wastewater Treatment Plant, 812-544-2106

Weekend/Holiday Emergency Number, 812-686-2234

Service Line Locates, 1-800-382-5544

questions@townofsantaclaus.com