Marlene Feist, 509.625.6505
Monday, March 16, 2020 at 2:50 p.m.
The City is suspending water service shut-offs for non-payment of City utility bills and won’t charge fees for late utility payments until further notice. The changes are part of the City’s efforts to ease the strain on City utility customers during widespread closures of schools and small businesses because of COVID-19.
“Today, we are helping to ensure that our citizens will have access to clean and safe water for drinking, hand washing and keeping their families safe,” says Mayor Nadine Woodward. “Our lives have become very different in the last few days, and at the City, we recognize that our families may face financial hardships as a result of the changes being implemented to slow the spread of this disease.”
Customers still will be responsible to pay for monthly City utility bills. The City will work with customers to make repayment arrangements or other accommodations; arrangements can be made by calling 3-1-1. The City also operates the U-Help program that provides qualified low-income households with annual one-time emergency financial assistance to pay their City utility bills. For information on how to access the program, call the Salvation Army at 509.325.6821.
The U-Help program is funded through donations from utility bill customers with a dollar-for-dollar match provided by the City’s utilities. Citizens can donate to U-Help through their utility bills, or they can send a check made out to U-Help to the U-Help Program, c/o Utilities Billing Department, City of Spokane, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane, WA, 99201.
The City’s utility bills include charges for water, wastewater, stormwater, and curbside garbage collection.
During this time, the City is asking its utility customers to use payment options other than coming to City Hall to pay in person:
Find more information on these payment options on the City’s web site or by calling 3-1-1.
