PLEASE NOTE THAT ANYTHING CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE 

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 8^th or 9^th of the following month.  If you have not received your billing by the 15^th 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 your payment is mailed it must be received in the Utilities Office by the due date, we do not use the postmark date.  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, are 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 your final bill.  Also as a residential owner, your deposit will be waived in lieu of submitting a letter of good credit (no penalties applied) 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 provide your social security number and 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, a new utility applicant must 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.  There is a minimum billing for sewer of 2,000 gallons, water has no minimum usage charge.

SEWER LATERAL INSPECTION:  Per Ordinance 2011-02, it shall be the responsibility of the property owner to perform all required maintenance and to keep all private lateral located upon private property and in public easements to and including the point or "tap" where such lateral connects to the Town's wastewater collection system in good condition.  Property owners shall have inspected, and provide the Town a report of the results of an inspection of the entire length of the laterals on their property from the cleanout required by this section to the tap where the lateral connects to the Town's wastewater collection system, upon any and each of the following events, unless the Town has issued a Certificate of Inspection within the last ten (10) years prior to such even:

1.  When building a new structure on property with an existing lateral, or when otherwise making a new connection to an existing lateral;

2.  Upon conducting any repair, remodeling or other modification of a structure that requires issuance of a building permit or improvement location permit;

3.  Prior to the conveyance or transfer of any property upon which a lateral is located by deed, affidavit or other instrument; 

4.  On any occasion in which sewage or other overflow from the property has reached public property or the property of any other person;

5.  Whenever the Town finds that sewage overflow from property upon which a lateral is located presents a threat to the public health, even it if remains upon the property upon which a lateral is located;

6.  When, as part of the Town's inspection of its mains, the Town discovers conditions which indicate reasonable probability of a defective lateral upon the property.

The property owner or his/her appointed contractor shall obtain a lateral inspection form for sewer lateral inspection prior to commencing with the inspection procedure.  Additional information is available within Ordinance 2011-02, which can be viewed at Town Hall, 90 N. Holiday Blvd., Santa Claus, Indiana.

MONTHLY RETAIL CUSTOMER CHARGES (as of July 2009 billing):

5/8 inch meter                            $3.87

3/4 inch meter                            $5.81

1 inch meter                               $9.68

1 1/2 inch meter                         $23.23

2 inch meter                               $38.72

3 inch meter                               $58.07

4 inch meter                               $96.79

6 inch meter                               $181.29

(add 7% sales tax to total)

RETAIL USAGE CHARGE (for 5/8 inch meter, as of July 2009 billing, June 2009 usage, no minimum water usage charge):

Water                                                  

                                              Santa Claus Customers                   

                                                      Per 1,000 gallons                           

First 5,000 gallons                                $5.54                                                            

Next 15,000 gallons                              $5.26                                                             

Next 25,000 gallons                              $4.72

Next 45,000 gallons                              $4.45

(add 7% sales tax to total)

Sewer (based on water usage, minimum usage charge applies)

                                                  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

MINIMUM MONTHLY CHARGE FOR PREVIOUS SANTA LA HILL CUSTOMERS:

5/8 inch meter                                            $14.80

3/4 inch meter                                            $72.86

1 inch meter                                               $174.53

1 1/2 inch meter                                         $205.99

2 inch meter                                               $237.44

2 1/2 inch meter                                         $265.25

3 inch meter                                               $293.06

6 inch meter                                               $571.12  

MONTHLY FIRE PROTECTION SERVICE CHARGES (as of July 2009 billing):  The following amounts to be payable as part of the basic rate of each retail customer who is located within the territorial limits of the Town of  Santa Claus and each retail customer of the water utility located outside the territorial limits of the Town of Santa Claus, Indiana whose property is located within one thousand (1,000) feet of a fire hydrant (measured from the hydrant to the nearest point on the property line of the customer) :

5/8 inch meter                                           $5.52

3/4 inch meter                                           $8.28

1 inch meter                                              $13.80

1 1/2 inch meter                                        $33.11

2 inch meter                                              $55.19

2 1/2 inch meter                                        $68.98

3 inch meter                                              $82.78

4 inch meter                                              $137.97

6 inch meter                                              $258.42

PRIVATE FIRE PROTECTION (as of July 2009 billing):

2 inch connection                                    $18.62

3 inch connection                                    $43.69

4 inch connection                                    $81.92

6 inch connection                                    $163.84

8 inch connection                                    $283.99

10 inch connection                                  $436.90

12 inch connection                                  $655.37

SERVICE FEES:  (as of May 15, 2009) There are times where you may be billed service charges.  These include: 

• In addition to any and all unpaid charges for water supplies through the meter, a disconnect/reconnect charge in the amount of $40.00 shall be paid to the Town prior to resumption of service at and through any meter at which water service previously was provided which has been disconnected at such location for any reason if such disconnection and reconnection is performed during the Town's regular business hours.  If such disconnection or reconnection is performed outside normal business hours, a disconnect/reconnect charge in the amount of $80.00 shall be paid to the Town prior to resumption of service. 
• No person shall turn on, turn off, adjust, bypass or otherwise tamper with the meters and valves owned by the Town, except with the permission of the Town's Utilities Superintendent allowing such action.  Any such action without permission may result in disconnection of service, a disconnect/reconnect charge and penalty charge in the amount of $100.00 which shall be paid prior to reconnection of service.
• If any payment to the Town is stopped, returned, rejected, reversed, recalled or otherwise debited from the Town's account following acceptance by the Town, in addition to any other fees or charges imposed by this Chapter the customer shall pay to the Town any and all charges imposed b the Town's financial institution for such action and an administrative fee of $20.00.
• If any customer requests a special meter reading at any time other than on the Town's normal schedule for such reading, a fee of $15.00 shall be paid by such customer prior to the Town's performance of such special reading.
• If any customer requests the Town perform a meter testing and/or calibration of a 2-inch or smaller meter, such customer shall pay a meter testing fee of $30.00 prior to such testing.  If any customer requests the Town perform meter testing and/or calibration of a meter large then 2 inch, such customer shall pay a meter testing fee equal to the actual cost of testing and/or calibration of the meter prior to such testing.  If any such meter test reflects an over-charging variance, such meter testing fee shall be refunded to the customer.

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, March, 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).  

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 largest 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, comes 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 (ext. 2), 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