Water Department Chelsea Frison cfrison@cityofgibraltar.net (734) 676-8982 (voice) (734) 676-7509  (Fax) Office hours 8am-4pm Monday/Friday

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.