Macomb County programs for paying or saving money on water bills.
There are a few ways to either get assistance in paying water bills in Macomb County or to save money on them. Some programs provide direct financial assistance and some of the resources can help people save and conserve water. Taking this approach to efficiency will in effect reduces the amount of their monthly water bills.
Every family and individual who resides in Macomb County Michigan and who uses the public water and sewer system will need to contribute to this utility cost. All residents receive some form of water or sewer bill every three months. Payments are normally due by the end of the month, and that is normally the 24th through the 28th of the month received. So the process is recurring in nature.
Late fees can be charged to customers as well. If payment for your water or sewer bill is not received by the due date, the charge is then considered late and a 5% penalty is automatically applied to the unpaid portion of your bill.
If you do not pay your bill on time, that is when Macomb County will start the shut off process. If payment is not received on time, representatives from the water or the sewer department may visit the customer and a shut off order may be issued. This is well communicated to all customers, as a notice of service termination is left at the customer’s door. In addition to that notification, phone calls will be made to the household as well.
The customer will need to make some type of payment to have their water or sewer service turned back on. In order to have your service reinstated, the Macomb Township Treasurer demands both a $25 fee to reconnect your service and the county must also receive payment on the unpaid bill in full.
Once payment on your past due balance has been received by Macomb County, the service will be reinstated with the customer being on site. Until that happens, there is no other way to get the water turned back on.
Financial assistance in Macomb for water and sewer bills
Customers do have some options available to them that can help pay water and sewer bills. Just one of the alternatives to the shut off process is transferring delinquent balances on the account to the winter tax. There are some time considerations and limits for this option. The process usually needs to start around the first of October of every year. Note that this transfer process is not reversible by the county.
Another option for getting water or sewer bill assistance is calling and applying at the Macomb County Community Services Agency. If the agency has funding, they may be able to help income qualified customers who are faced with an emergency.
There are three centers around the county. They can provide emergency assistance for paying these and other utility bills and also have an extensive number of information and referral services offered on site as well. Cash assistance for many utilities is available, including water. The centers to call in Michigan for help include New Haven (586-749-5146), Central Community Action Center (586-469-6964), as well as Warren (586-759-9150).
Some limited number of payment plans may also be offered by Macomb County. Call to speak to a representative to apply for these. Most are targeted at low income families facing a short term hardship.
Conserve water and save money. This approach is always effective. The county provides information, solutions, and advice for how to save money on water bills. The different solutions include those listed below.
Individuals need to watch for leaks in their home system, including pipes, toilets, sinks, and other set ups. Even a small leak can potentially add as much as a dollar per day and hundreds of dollars per year to your monthly water bill. Faulty toilets, leaky faucets, malfunctioning water activated sump pumps and over watering of lawns are some examples of fixtures that can produce exorbitant water or sewer bills.
If you think you have a leak in your home water system then you need to immediately find it as quickly as possible. The next steps should be to contact a plumbing agency to have the leak repaired as soon as possible as well. It is important to note that Macomb Township cannot adjust your bill for any water that was wasted by a leak, so the sooner you act the better.
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