LAMONT, Calif. -- Homeowners in a little community near Lamont are reeling after getting a $1,000 fee with their water bill.

The small Athal Mutual Water Co. wants residents to chip in, and help replace one of the system's two wells.

Many of the residents in the area of Panama Lane and Weedpatch Highway got letters this week about the new assessment.

"That's too high, and that's too much," Rosa Medina said Thursday afternoon. She lives in her mother's house, along with six children and two grandchildren. Medina said her neighbors are very upset.

Rogelio Ayala is one of the frustrated homeowners.

"I think that's too much money," he said. "Especially right now that we're not working, and the economy."

Letters with the bills explain that one of the company wells has gone down, and getting a new well will cost $100,000. Jerry Case is president for the small company. He said they have to go to the homeowners for more funds.

"We've got to do it to stay afloat, or nobody will have any water," he said.

The company has a second well, but it's small.

Fran Greenhaw is the secretary and treasurer, and she said bylaws for the company were drawn up in 1950.

"That authorizes that the homeowners are the members of the company, and when we have anything that happens, they are responsible for working to get the well back into shape," she said.

The company will let residents spread out the $1,000 assessment over 12 months, but some homeowners said that's still a lot of money. Some said their monthly bill is now up to $75, so even making payments toward the assessment would mean their costs would more that double.

The secretary said the $75 per household pays for regular monthly operating costs, such as electricity for the pumps, water testing and chemicals, maintenance and the employee who does that work.

Case said he and the vice president take no pay, all they get is their water for free.

The secretary/treasurer said the company looked into getting a grant from the state but were told that would only be available if both wells were out.

So the company needs extra money coming in to pay for the new well.

"To get any financial help we have to know that we have extra funds coming in to make a bank payment, if we get a bank loan," Greenhaw said.

Case and Greenhaw said they understand the extra cost will be hard on home-owners, but the company has to look at the long range.

"If we continue to operate until our other well quits, we'll be in more trouble," she said.