Water and Wastewater
Customer Assistance Program
Commission Update
April 23, 2024
Deidre Andrus, Customer Services Bureau Director
1 Customer Assistance Program (CAP)
Background
• Jul 2004 SFPUC CAP initiated 15% Discount
• Jul 2005 Amended to increase discount to 35%
• Jul 2007 Amended to add 15% water discount
• Feb 2012 Audit performed by City Services Auditor
• Feb 2022 Amended discount to 25% for water and
wastewater, self certification enrollment process
• Jul 2023 Program expanded for more eligible customers • Changed income eligibility from 200% FPL to 0 – 50% AMI • Increased discounts to 40% for those below 30% AMI (2 Tiers) • Operationalized July 2023
2 3
Customer Assistance Program
Team Introductions
Customer Accounts
• Diala Batshoun, Operations Manager
• Houa Lor, Billing Manager
• Pauline Lloren, High Bill Unit Supervisor
Communications
• Jessica Bowker, Communications Manager, External Affairs 4 Pandemic Related Challenges &
Opportunities
State Arrearage Relief
• Delayed resumption of collections
• Planned post enrollment income verification
Non-Rate Funding Sources
Operationalize Changes
• Program stability, governance and transparency
• Online application and access while protecting
customer personally identifiable Information (PII)
CAP Applications Received
Approved 276 27%
Denied
Account has active discount
Account not eligible
Address does not match
account address
Applicant has multiple accounts
Income exceeds program limits
No or incomplete response
728
167
109
1 9
280
162
73%
24%
15%
1%
1%
39%
21%
Total 1,004 100%
24%
15%
0%
1%
39%
21%
Denied Applications
by Reason
Active discount
Account not eligible
Address does not match account address
Applicant has multiple accounts
Income exceeds program limits
No response
CAP Applications, Appeals
Approved 42
Denied
Income exceeds
Insufficient
documentation
25 11
14 Grand Total 67
Approved,
63%
Denied,
37%
Appeals
• Customer Services staff are
responsive to customer
appeals
• CS staff work directly with
customers to review appeals.
Of total 67 appeals
• 42 (63%) were approved
• 25 (37%) were denied
Financial Summary for CAP
JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC TOTAL
Number of
accounts 6,794 6,810 6,904 6,885 6,765 6,632
Tier 1 $70,802 $75,505 $88,452 $78,647 $79,961 $76,275 $398,841 Tier 2 $ 285,842 $308,993 $358,936 $318,484 $322,706 $305,075 $1,614,197 Total $ 2,013,039
Program is monitored quarterly by management to review
performance and ensure funding remains available.
Participants by Zip Code
Zip Code Total Number
of Participants
Tier 1
Participants
25%
Tier 2
Participants
40%
Total Amount
Discounts
Provided
94112
Ingleside /
Excelsior
1,666 437 1,229 $ 80,484.20
94134
Visitacion
Valley/Sunnydale
1,128 312 816 $ 52,308.93
94116
Parkside/Forest
Hill
778 150 628 $ 34,005.41
94122
Sunset 758 151 607 $ 32,561.70
94124
Bayview/Hunters
Point
742 198 544 $ 38,454.46
9 2023 Communications and Outreach
• CAP webpages, FAQs, applications, and community flyers in 8 languages
• Outreach to our Chinese, Filipino, and Spanish speaking communities, including Filipino and Cantonese language radio commercials, TV commercials, advertisements in Sing Tao newspaper, geotargeted Spanish language E-blasts in
partnership with Univision, and digital streaming and social media ads in Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish languages.
• Outreach to our Southeast communities, including radio and digital ads on KBLX, newspaper ads in the Sun Reporter, and creating custom banners, posters and newsletter articles for our Southeast Community Center.
10 2023 Communications and Outreach,
cont’d
• Geotargeted social media and google ads, shown more than 600,000 times.
• Multilingual flyers included with 120,000 SFPUC bills. • Multilingual E-blasts to all residential SFPUC customers with emails on file.
• 1,000 MUNI bus ads in 4 languages.
• Communications kits shared with the Board of Supervisors and hundreds of community-based organizations, in 8 languages. • Tabling at key community events with custom posters and handouts in relevant languages.
11 Shut Off Policy
Exceptions for Extenuating Circumstances
• Medical or Other (documentation required)
No shut offs since March 2020
• Resumption planned in July of 2024 – accounts over $50 • 45 days past due – reminder notice sent
• 60 days past due – severance process initiated (may include discontinue of service)
• 7 days before discontinuation written notice by US Mail (include options to avert)
Options to avert:
• Pay
• Pay plan or Alternative payment schedule
• Contest / Appeal bill amount
• Special circumstances (threat to health and safety, financial below FPL, medical or extenuating circumstances)
12 THANK YOU
Feedback & Questions?