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Department of Public Works

Acting City Administrator/DPW Director

Michael Landis
mlandis@cityofgibraltar.net 
(734) 676-3900

Water Department

Chelsea Frison
cfrison@cityofgibraltar.net
(734) 676-8982 (voice)
(734) 676-7509  (Fax)

Office hours 8am-4pm Monday/Friday
  

OCTOBER 2021 FIRE HYDRANT FLUSHING 

Starting the Week of October 11, 2021. The Department of Public Works will be winterizing and flushing fire hydrants around the city. Keep in mind, this MAY result in tinted or brown colored water coming from residential plumbing. This results from sediment being stirred up due to the changing of pressure in the pipes. This discoloration is temporary and is not harmful. If you have discolored water, let your faucet run until the water appears clear. If the problem persists, contact the City of Gibraltar at 734-676-3900.

Hardship Review Process:  In extreme circumstance, the City of Gibraltar may issue water/sewer bill relief to residents beyond established payment policies adopted by the Gibraltar City Council.  Any and all deviation from established policies will be at the discretion of the Gibraltar City Council.  If a resident chooses to request a Hardship Review, the following information must be presented by the applicant:

  1. Resident must produce a history of payments over the past five (5) years - this history includes taxes, water, sewer, and any other obligations the resident may have had or currently has with the City.
  2. If the cause of the hardship is the result of a burst pipe, substantial plumbing defect (0ther than leaky toilets), etc. the applicant shall show proof of the plumbing defect which led to higher than average consumption.  Proof of plumbing defect can include photos, invoices from plumbers, etc.
  3. Applicant must be a resident of the City of Gibraltar.
  4. Resident must be faced with shut off or pending shut off of their water or sewer service.
  5. Applicants must be able to provide evidence of a financial hardship and an inability to pay (through proof of the previous 12 months of income).  Evidence must also include proof that household members 18 years of age or older living at the residence have the inability to assist with the payment of the water/sewer bill.
  6. Proof of ownership of the residence.
  7. Applicant must provide current city of Gibraltar water bill and payment/consumption history over the previous 12 months.

Upon receipt of the above information, review of the application will occur at the next regularly scheduled Gibraltar City Council Meeting.  Residents are encourages to submit an application for hardship relief upon receipt of their water bill.  Prompt completion of the application will insure the hardship request is reviewed prior to shutoff for non-payment.

Credit Card Payments: The City of Gibraltar will soon be accepting both credit card and debit card payments from residents for water bills. Residents will be able to make payments online, via phone, and at City Hall. The charge for this service will be 3% of the transaction amount. Most credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover) will be accepted.

Delinquent Water Bills: Earlier this year, the Gibraltar City Council approved and instituted a new payment plan for water billings. The following is a summary of the approved plan:

If any customer shall receive a “shut off notice” for a delinquent water bill pursuant to Section 38-27 of the City of Gibraltar Code, said customer may request a repayment plan. If requested, without exception (to avoid shut off), the maximum period of repayment shall not exceed the period of time between the past due date and the next scheduled water billing.

In order to authorize a repayment plan, the City of Gibraltar Water Department will require a minimum payment of at least 50% of the past due balance with the remainder of the bill repaid prior to the next scheduled billing. Payment increments for the remainder of the bill shall be established in a manner that will result in the resolution of the customer’s delinquency prior to the deadline set forth above.

All penalties set forth in Section 38-27 of the City of Gibraltar Code shall still be incurred by the customer/resident regardless of the establishment of a payment plan. Should the customer fail to make their regularly scheduled payments, as described above, the City reserves the right to discontinue service at the customer’s residence/business.

Pursuant to Section 38-28 of the City of Gibraltar Municipal Code, the unpaid balance will be included in the next water bill (and will be subject to the same terms and conditions as a standard water bill).

In addition, the City maintains all avenues of recourse to pursue payment up to and including placing a lien on the customers property as provided by Section 38-28 of the City of Gibraltar Code. For all aforementioned payments the City shall only accept payment in the form of cash, money order, or certified check.

Flood Information: Flood and storm drain brochures for properties that may be in or near Special Flood Hazard Areas in the City of Gibraltar. Other flood hazard and watershed information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in our information center located in the foyer of the Municipal Complex. You can also visit the FEMA website at http://www.fema.gov. Information concerning the National Flood Insurance Program is available at the DPW & Water Department located inside the City Municipal Building.

Water Bill Reminder: When you receive your quarterly water bill, please remember to check your water meter reading with the listed numbers of gallons on the bill.  Your meter should read higher than the billing information.  If there are any discrepancies, please notify the Water Department immediately at (734) 676-3952.  Discrepancies are the responsibility of the property owner.

Lead in your Drinking Water: Important information about your drinking water can be found in the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). This annual report will be available at City Hall and DPW. You can also view the 2017 Consumers Annual Report on Water Quality online by clicking here... Annual Report 2014.

Street Salting: With the limited availability of rock salt, the City will be forced to limit the frequency and areas in which the City streets are salted. The primary focus will be main thoroughfares, intersections and bridges. Please use caution while driving this winter.
 

Water Bill Payments Only
Useful links
From the Water Department
Hydrant Flushing: The Water Department will be finishing flushing Fire Hydrants in the month of September & October. This can cause the water to appear rusty in color.  THE DISCOLORED WATER IS TEMPORARY.  Because the discoloured water could cause damage to your laundry, it has been suggested to do laundry in the evening hours to avoid problems.  If needed, run the water until it is clear before using.  We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.


Water Costs Money . . . Don't Waste It!

A continuous leak at 60 psi water pressure from a hole the size shown below would, over a (3) three month period, waste water in the amounts shown.

 Diameter of Stream
  Gallons
1/4"

3/16"
1/8"
1/16"

 1,181,500
666,000
296,000
74,000


Americans drink more than 1 billion glasses of tap water per day. Families turn on the faucet an average of 70 times in one day. [ Florida Water Environment Association]

    40% of the water used each day by the average person is flushed down the toilet. [ Fiji Natural Artesian Water]

    A faucet that drips at the rate of one drop per second will waste 2,700 gallons in 12 months. [American Water and Energy Savers, Inc.]

Check for Water Leaks To be sure that you do not have a water leak somewhere in your home, go dry for two hours. Turn off all appliances that use water and do not use any water for the two hours - no toilets, sinks or faucets - inside or outside. Check your meter reading before and after the two hours. If the meter reading changes even a little bit, you probably have a leak and each fixture in your home should be checked.

Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl before you flush, you have a leak.
Waste Collection Guidlines

The City of Gibraltar's garbage and yard waste services are provided by Priority waste.  Residential pickup is scheduled for MONDAY.  Garbage can be placed curbside for pickup after 5:00 p.m. the night before scheduled pickup OR not later han 6:00 a.m. the morning of your scheduled pickup.  Please remember that if you choose to put your trash out the night before to make sure it is packaged in a manner that will keep any animals from tearing it open.  The garbage contractor is not responsible for cleaning up bags that have been torn open by animals.

The GFL customer service telephone number is 1-844-464-3587 and their website is http://gflusa.com.

Holidays:  GFL recognizes the following yearly holidays; New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.  If pick-up falls on or after a holiday during the business week, services will be pushed back one day.

 
Containers:  Each household is provided one blue totter can.  Should you need an additional can, they are available for purchase at City Hall for $100.  Additional approved containers will also be picked up, however, they must be watertight, metal or plastic containers with handles and tight fitting covers of not more than 35-gallon capacity each OR large plastic or paper sacks of approximately 30-gall capacity designed for the purpose of accumulation of garbage and rubbish.
 
Garbage / Rubbish: Garbage means the animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, preparation, and cooking of food. Rubbish includes all combustible and non-combustible waste materials from households, including paper, boxes, baskets, wood, rags, old shoes, leather, cans, household furniture and appliances. It does not include industrial refuse or building refuse, nor does it include tree stumps, abandoned automobiles or vehicle tires.
 
Yard Waste: Yard waste includes grass clippings, leaves, brush, and tree trimmings less than 2" in diameter and tied into bundles not to exceed 4 feet in length and/or 60 pounds in weight. Only these materials are to be included for yard waste collections. Larger limbs can be put out for chipping by the DPW. Once each year, the yard waste may include a discarded natural Christmas tree. Grass clippings, leaves, brush will be collected by a separate truck on the normal trash pick-up day . Yard waste material can be placed in a 30-gallon "kraft" brown paper yard waste bag (available at local retailers) or loose, in a 35-gallon plastic or metal container weighing no more than 60 pounds when filled. If you prefer to dispose of yard waste in a can, the can must be clearly marked as containing “yard waste” or “compost”. Free yard waste stickers are provided at City Hall, simply visit our offices and request yard waste stickers. Plastic bags will not be accepted. Place yard waste away from the solid waste. The Yard waste hauler will not be responsible for any yard waste debris left in a compost can due to moisture or from being compacted too tight.
 
Special Pickups: Special pick-ups may be provided by the City of Gibraltar only if the items are not picked up by GFL because it does not meet their contract obligations. There is a minimum charge of $100.00 per truckload for special pick-ups by the City, which will have to be paid prior to scheduling.
 

APPLIANCES: Disposal of Freon bearing appliance must be scheduled separately with GFL at an additional cost, these appliances will not be picked up should you place them out with regular trash on trash day. Please call GFL to schedule a pick-up.

BUILDING REFUSE: If waste is from demolition, construction, remodeling, and/or repairs, a small amount shall be accepted by the trash hauler as a normal amount of refuse from a household. Large quantities shall not be regarded as household or yard refuse and shall be removed by the homeowner or contractor doing the work. The amount of household demolition picked up on any given day shall not exceed, in size, two (2) 35-gallon size containers nor weigh more than 60 pounds each.

NOTE: For items that will not be picked up by either GFL or the City, you may try to contact either the Riverview Land Preserve at (734) 281-4262 or Rockwood Landfill at (737) 379-4624. If you have any questions, please contact the DPW office at (734) 676-3952, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Chipping: City chipping service will normally be done once a week. This is subject to change due to emergencies, scheduling, etc. Tree branches for chipping should be left as long as possible, with the larger end of the branch facing towards the road in a neat, uniform pile. Property owners should try to cut small branches and limbs and place them in a yard waste bag. The chipping service is for trees cut down / trimmed by residents themselves. If a contractor is hired, they are responsible for chipping and removal of all debris. Property owners should try to cut up the small branches and limbs (under 2" in dia.) and follow the Yard Waste guidelines below.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection: Wayne County’s Department of Environment is hosts for Household Hazardous Waste Collections each year for County residents. The collections are designed to accept unwanted household chemicals for proper disposal and electronics for recycling from residents For more information, contact the Wayne County DPS at (734) 326-3936.

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