A court has determined that the City of Canyon Lake’s Utility Users Tax (UUT) imposed on water and sewer customers of Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District and Eastern Municipal Water District is unconstitutional.
As a result of the court’s ruling, the City of Canyon Lake must refund all eligible customers who paid the tax during the affected time period and submit a valid claim before the deadline.
All customers who have paid a UUT on water and sewer service between September 7, 2023, and May 29, 2025, the claim period, are entitled to submit a Claim for Refund form to the City of Canyon Lake.
Because the city does not provide this utility service directly, it does not have access to customers’ utility bills. Therefore, eligible customers have two options for receiving their refund. Customers may elect the “default” refund of $4 per month during the claim period or elect to calculate an individual refund more specifically by calculating the amount paid and providing sufficient records to support the claim. These instructions are provided on the claim form.
The claim form must be signed by the customer making the claim and dated no later than one year after February 4, 2026, which is the official date of the notice issued by the City of Canyon Lake.
According to the city, any funds that are not claimed after the deadline will be transferred to the city’s General Fund.
The Claim for Refund form is available at Canyon Lake City Hall, 31516 Railroad Canyon Road, or by downloading the claim form online. To download the form, click here. City Hall is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
