Private Investor-Owned Utility
California Water Service Company - Bear Gulch System
Serving Atherton, Bear Gulch, Kings Mountain, Los Trancos, Portola Valley, Skyline, Woodside, and portions of Menlo Park and Redwood City
Population served
61,431 people; 17,353 residential service connections, 1,395 commercial connections, and 1 industrial connection according to California Drinking Water Watch for active system CA4110006.
State system code
FIPS 06
Billing frequency
Generally monthly billing, with the bill showing the service period, meter read dates, current charges, due date, and prior balance. The exact read and due-date calendar is premise-specific.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
California Water Service Company - Bear Gulch System operates as a private investor-owned utility serving Atherton, Bear Gulch, Kings Mountain, Los Trancos, Portola Valley, Skyline, Woodside, and portions of Menlo Park and Redwood City. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as CPUC-approved metered increasing-block residential structure for the Bear Gulch Tariff Area. Effective July 1, 2026, the 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter service charge is $55.99 per month; usage is $2.7682/CCF for 1-6 CCF, $11.1678/CCF for 7-18 CCF, $13.9703/CCF for 19-35 CCF, and $16.7935/CCF over 35 CCF. Bills are also subject to applicable CPUC, RSF, CAP, and AS schedules.. Bills are generated generally monthly billing, with the bill showing the service period, meter read dates, current charges, due date, and prior balance. the exact read and due-date calendar is premise-specific., and a typical residential cost reference is Using the July 1, 2026 Bear Gulch tariff, a standard 5/8 x 3/4-inch residential meter using approximately 5,000 gallons (6.68 CCF) costs about $80.24 per month including the $55.99 service charge and tiered water quantity charges. At approximately 7,000 gallons (9.36 CCF), the comparable estimate is about $110.10. These estimates exclude sewer, taxes, CPUC fees, CAP/RSF/AS adjustments, and other premise-specific charges.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
Cal Water bills the Bear Gulch potable-water charge. Sewer or wastewater charges are normally imposed separately by Atherton, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Woodside, Redwood City, or another serving sewer agency and are not governed by one Cal Water formula. The sewer agency may use actual water consumption, a winter average, a residential cap, or a fixed equivalent-unit charge. Customers should compare the water meter usage with the separate sewer bill and ask the serving agency for its current base, usage, winter-average, and adjustment rules.
Meter and infrastructure notes
The Bear Gulch system uses customer water meters and Cal Water's periodic billing reads. The district page does not publish a fixed local AMI deployment percentage or route day; Cal Water company materials describe AMR/AMI pilots in selected districts but do not establish that every Bear Gulch account has an advanced meter. Customers should use the bill's read dates and current/previous reads, review usage history in the portal, and ask Cal Water to confirm the exact meter technology and leak-alert capability for the premise. Cal Water reports that approximately 11% of supply is local surface water from a 1,200-acre Woodside-hills watershed treated at its Atherton reservoir plant, while approximately 89% is purchased from SFPUC.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
For water emergencies, main breaks, service-line leaks, flooding, or suspected water-quality problems in the Bear Gulch District, call 650-561-9709; Cal Water lists the same number for main and after-hours contact. Call 911 for an immediate life-safety emergency and avoid contact with contaminated or electrically hazardous water.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Atherton, Bear Gulch, Kings Mountain, Los Trancos, Portola Valley, Skyline, Woodside, and portions of Menlo Park and Redwood City
California Water Service Company - Bear Gulch System is listed here as a private investor-owned utility. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.