Armed with a new water-rate schedule, Nevada City officials will place liens on property owners who don't make timely payments on their water bills.

The city is relying on the Revenue Bond Law of 1941 to collect delinquent payments. Though few property owners are delinquent, collecting that money would help close a deficit in the city's water fund expected to be $468,000 at the end of the fiscal year 2008-09, according to city reports.

City Council members will hold a public hearing to discuss the issue when they meet at 7 p.m. today at City Hall, 317 Broad St., downtown. To see the agenda, visit TheUnion.com and click on this story.